Conservatives dismiss IT savings
Friday, 14 Mar 2008 13:00
Shadow health minister Stephen O'Brien has described the £1.14 billion of savings expected from the NHS' IT programmes by 2014 as "peanuts".
His comments follow the government's publication of its benefits statement on the issue, which reveal savings of £208 million were achieved in 2006/07.
"The NHS IT programme remains centralising Whitehall at its worst," Mr O'Brien said, comparing the £1.14 billion figure to the £20 billion expenditure over Connecting for Health's lifetime.
"It is certainly nothing the government should be crowing about as it is the very least they should be doing to recover their incompetence on a grand scale," he added.
"And what do we have to show for it? A patient record system which is behind schedule and compromises individual privacy. and a 'choose and book' system also behind schedule which, when it works, is irritating doctors and patients alike."