Plans for the NHS's national IT scheme are feasible - but the main software is running four years behind, and may not be fully rolled out until 2015, according to a report published today by the National Audit Office.
This is a strong report by the NAO - factual and clear. There have been some achievements - the NPfIT has improved the profile, importance and training of IT staff in the NHS. It has made IT and its potential benefits a talking point at board level. A later add-on to the NPfIT, PACS digital x-ray technology, has been a success, making diagnoses quicker and reducing the need for unnecessary x-rays. The N3 broadband network is a success.
Birmingham City Council - Europe's largest local authority with a £3bn annual turnover - says it has about 10,000 unpaid invoices from its suppliers "stuck" in a SAP-based financial system, more than six months after going live.