NHS IT system ‘grinding to a halt’
The massive new IT system being designed for the NHS is grinding to a halt, according to reports today.
The vast, centralised programme is said to be desperately behind schedule, with suppliers unwilling to get involved with it.
“After all that we’ve said and warned, can it be any surprise that the government’s failure and disappointment is as nothing compared to the lost opportunity for improving healthcare outcomes for patients?” said shadow health minister Stephen O’ Brien.
The Liberal Democrats argued the project was poorly designed from its inception.
“This huge centralised project has been a shambles from the start,” said Lib Dem health spokesman Norman Lamb.
“Only last week the King’s Fund was pointing out how slow the NHS was to take advantage of technology and part of the blame must lie with this grand but failed design.”
The £12 billion project was designed to give doctors instant access to patient’s records from all over the country.
