Government officials question IT providers regarding the hidden behind delays in the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) in the NHS (National Health Service)
In a recent session, key figures from the NHS's IT sector were grilled by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) over the National Audit Commission's report on the NHS's national IT programme.
The PAC, a parliamentary body tasked with scrutinising government spending, questioned the Department of Health's informatics chief, Christine Connolly, as well as Patrick O'Connell, president of BT Health, and Sheri Thureen, president of CSC's UK healthcare division.
The questioning was prompted by a report published last week, which found that scaling back the National IT programme was more likely to reduce value rather than cost. The report has sparked concerns among UK ministers, leading to the intense scrutiny.
The National Audit Commission's report specifically focused on the National Programme for IT (NPfIT), the remaining supplier of which was represented at the PAC meeting.
During the session, Christine Connolly asserted that continuing with Lorenzo, the care records system being delivered by CSC, would be less costly than abandoning it, despite past issues with missed deadlines and budget overruns.
Sir David Nicholson, the NHS's chief executive, was also present during the questioning. A video of the PAC's interviews can be found (requires Microsoft Silverlight).
%20in%20the%20NHS%20(National%20Health%20Service)){kind=link}