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.