Original vision of NHS IT programme “will never be realised,” report says

A blistering report by government auditors has dealt what could be a fatal blow to the 9 year old, £11bn (€12.6bn; $17.8bn) programme to computerise the NHS in England.

In unusually forthright language the National Audit Office said yesterday that the attempt to install electronic care record systems across the NHS “does not represent value for money” and that prospects for the remainder of the programme are no better.

Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, which reports to parliament, said bluntly that the original vision of the NHS National Programme for IT (information technology) will not be realised. “The NHS is now getting far fewer systems than planned, …