Up to 700 IT jobs are at risk following the termination
of Fujitsu'scontractunder the £12.7bnNHS National Programme for IT, trade
union Unite claims.
Fujitsu confirmed today that it begun a 90-day consultation
process on the future of its employees working on the NHS
Connecting for Health National Programme for IT (NPfIT).
Peter Skyte, national officer at
Unite, said the
government should ensure that the skills of the Fujitsu workers are
not wasted.
"Government must act to ensure that the knowledge and skills
gained in working for Fujitsu are retained, whoever the provider or
providers in the future, and ensure that the skilled staff can help
the project continue to a successful conclusion in the interests of
patients, the NHS and the health of the nation."
Connecting for Health terminated Fujitsu's £1.1bn, contract last
month after
re-negotiations collapsed. Fujitsu was the local service
provider for trusts in the south of England.
Peter Hutchinson, group director UK public services at Fujitsu,
said one of the
company's problems with the NPfIT contract was a delay in NHS
trusts sanctioning payments.
He was being questioned this week by the Public Accounts
Committee in an inquiry into the progress of the NPfIT.
"There were a lot of delays in getting paid for things which was
quite frustrating," he said. "There is no question that local
trusts withheld agreements for payment in order to force us to make
further changes to the system and keep us under pressure. These
changes to the contracted requirements to suit the particular
requirements of particular trusts."
Fujitsu said, "Fujitsu Services can confirm that it will
commence a 90 day consultation period for its employees working on
the NHS Connecting for Health National Programme for IT. This
process allows the employees to discuss, on a formal basis, the
options available to them."
Connecting
for health statement and more about Fujitsu and the NHS National
Programme for IT >>