NHS IT Budget Gigantic Overspend to £18.6bn - £31bn, UK

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 12 Oct 2004 - 11:00 PDT

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Revamping the NHS computer systems could reach the astronomical figure of £31 billion. Experts say the final cost will be between £18.6bn and £31bn. The original estimate was one third to one fifth of those amounts.

You can read about this latest estimate in the magazine Computer Weekly.

This ten-year programme will completely revamp the NHS IT system, say officials. For example, all England's patients will have an electronic health record.

According to UK Health Minister, John Hutton, the NHS will not be overly burdened by all these costs when seen in the context of total NHS spending over that period. Computer Weekly wonders how many NHS services will be affected by the financial overshoot.

The programme is now being investigated by the National Audit Office (UK public spending watchdog). We should have its full report during the summer of next year. The investigation will look into whether the programme, with its costs, offers value for money. It will also investigate how the system was selected.

When the new system is up and running doctors will find it much easier to access patients' records, whether at the local GP surgery or at a hospital hundreds of miles away.

An electronic booking system will allow patients to book appointments and even operations.

The original estimate for the whole programme was £6.2bn and was based on American experiences (Computer Weekly).

Local Trusts (Health Care Authorities) are already worried that this overshoot will eat into current patient treatments.

GPs are worried about the safe transfer of patient records to the new system (it is a national network).

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