Lib Dems wants NHS National Programme for IT scrapped
- Author:
- Antony Savvas
- Posted:
- 15:13 17 Sep 2008
- Topics:
- IT Applications
The Liberal Democrats have pledged to scrap the floundering NHS National Programme for IT.
Liberal Democrat shadow health secretary Norman Lamb told this week's LibDem party conference in Bournemouth that he wanted an immediate end to further spending on the NHS National Programme for IT.
Lamb also called for an independent inquiry into the £12.4bn programme, which he said had been "a shambles from the start".
As a replacement to the programme, his party wants the creation of local health boards, with a legal duty to deliver value for money in health care.
The central imposition of private sector providers would be rejected, Lamb said.
Hospital trusts have now been given the option to "opt out" of elements of the national programme after facing deployment problems and delays. The Newcastle trust is one of the first to do so.
