Gordon Brown claims Tories plan to abolish NHS IT scheme

The Prime Minister Gordon Brown has attacked the Tories,claiming that it is Conservative party policy to abolish the NHS's £12 bn National Programme for IT [NPfIT].

But the Conservatives deny they haveever called for the NPfIT to be abolished. They say that Gordon Brown appears to have been briefed incorrectly on the Tory's position on the national programme.

The clash between Brown and the Conservatives will reinforce concerns within the NHS that the NPfIT has become politicised in a way which will make it difficult for the government to assess the programme's problems objectively.

A main objective of the NPfIT was to replace paper records with electronic ones - the so-called Care Records Service - but this part of the programme is running at least four years behind schedule.

Brown made his comments on the NPfIT when questioned by Edward Leigh, chairman of the House of Commons' Public Accounts Committee, which has twice investigated the NHS IT scheme.

Leigh said that rushed projects and programmes caused waste - and he cited the NPfIT and the Rural Payments Agency's failed introduction of the IT-based Single Payments Scheme.

Brown said, "I disagree with you about the NHS [National Programme for IT]. It is a necessary project. The fact that it is a difficult project does not mean to say"

Leigh interrupted, saying, "£12bn spent, four years late, Fujitsu having pulled out, Lorenzo is only working in one ward - is that a great achievement?"

Brown replied that patients are "getting electronic prescriptions now" and "people have been able to book their hospital appointment from their computer". Brown added, "You cannot say that that is not an advance."

Brown conceded that a huge project such as the NPfIT has created problems - but he went on to claim that the Tories wanted to abolish it.

"I do not want to abolish it - I want it [to work] efficiently," said Leigh.

"No you do want to abolish it," said Brown.

"When have I said that?" asked Leigh.

"Your Party has," said Brown, adding, "I just say that something like the NHS [National Programme for IT] is easy to say it is of no use to anybody but actually it is providing the electronic prescriptions, the doctors' records kept, at the same time as providing a means by which people can book hospital appointments."

After the confrontation the Tories insisted that their MPs have not called for the NPfIT to be abolished. They said that IT, properly used, could bring great benefits to the healthcare sector.

Shadow Minister for Health Stephen O'Brien MP said, "It is disappointing that Gordon Brown should be seeking to score political points with this ill-informed comment. Conservatives are holding an independent review precisely to work constructively for information technology which supports patients and professionals, and helps the delivery of better care.

"Labour's NHS supercomputer programme has frustrated professionals and patients alike, flattened innovation and is running years behind schedule. Tragically we shall never know how many lives could have been saved, and how many people could have been treated better or more speedily but for the government's incompetence."