NPfIT under renewed criticism

The National Programme for IT (NPfIT) was launched in 2002 with the ambitious goal of implementing care records systems for the UK's National Health Service (NHS). The programme, aimed at delivering value for money, has faced several challenges over the years.

At the heart of the NPfIT are the care records systems, designed to streamline patient care and improve efficiency. However, due to fewer NHS trusts planning to use these new systems, additional costs have arisen to make them interoperable. This has raised questions about the programme's ability to deliver value for money.

The National Audit Office (NAO) has released a report titled "An update on the delivery of detailed care records systems - NAO report", which sheds light on the NPfIT's progress. The report states that neither the reduction in suppliers nor the decrease in NHS trusts has increased the chances of the NPfIT delivering value for money. In fact, the NAO found that measures taken to reduce the scope of the NPfIT have limited its potential value more than they have reduced its costs.

The number of suppliers for the NPfIT has fallen to just two - BT and CSC. This reduction in suppliers has not improved the programme's chances of delivering value for money, according to the NAO report.

Despite these challenges, the Department of Health defends the progress of the NPfIT. They claim that more than half of the Trusts in England have received systems under the programme, and no supplier is paid until the system is verified by the Trust.

The ambition of creating a single electronic record for every patient of the NHS will not be achieved due to the decreasing number of NHS trusts committed to using the care records systems at the center of the NPfIT.

Interestingly, a 2009 report from the Centre for Policy, suggesting that private companies including Google could be entrusted with patient care records, is believed to have influenced the current Conservative party leadership.

Moreover, George Osborne, the UK chancellor, suggested at a conference that publishing health care data online would help citizens to scrutinize the performance of healthcare providers and allow scientists to analyze the spread of diseases. This proposal could potentially provide a different approach to improving the efficiency and transparency of the NHS.

As of now, there are no specific institutions publicly identified in negotiations to further reduce costs of the UK National Health Service's National IT Program. The future of the NPfIT remains uncertain, but efforts continue to be made to improve its efficiency and deliver value for money.