NHS spent £1.6bn on IT in 2009

The NHS spent £1.6bn on IT in 2009, the government has revealed.

This year it is spending over £322m on IT companies with headquarters outside the UK.

NHS trusts spent £915m; primary care trusts spent £682m; and strategic health authorities £27m on IT projects and maintenance in the financial year 2008-09.

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Simon Burns, minister for NHS finance and performance, said the figures came from an annual survey of IT investment in the NHS, which made up £1.3bn of the total.

The figure for capital expenditure came from NHS accounts and spending reported by foundation trusts, and totalled £261m, which included software licences.

The total IT spend in UK health is even greater, as the £1.6bn figure doesn't include spending by special health authorities and central spending by the Department of Health.

Spending under the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) makes up just over £1bn of the total £1.6bn spent.

Burns also revealed that in the financial year 2009-10 the NPfIT spent £322m on companies with headquarters outside the UK. The biggest beneficiary was CSC, whose contract was worth £213m last year. Fujitsu received £37m and Atos was paid £33m.