NHS IT programme running four years late

LONDON (Reuters) - A multi-billion pound scheme to reform the system of holding patient records in the NHS is running at least four years behind schedule, a report by parliament's financial watchdog said on Friday.

The National Programme for IT in the NHS was launched in 2002 with the aim of overhauling the system by which patients' electronic records are held in England.

The huge project is designed to replace the different computer systems used by NHS Trusts, hospitals and GP practices with one single system that would allow all NHS staff access to patient records anywhere in the country.

But the National Audit Office said the system would not be in use at every NHS Trust in England until 2014.

Despite the delay, the report said the estimated cost of the project, some 12.7 billion pounds, was about the same as originally envisaged.

"The scale of the challenge involved in delivering the National Programme for IT has proved far greater than envisaged at the start, with serious delays in delivering the new care records system," NAO head Tim Burr said in a statement.

"Progress is being made, however, and financial savings and other benefits are beginning to emerge."

The report said that problems developing the software had meant some NHS Trusts had had to bring in interim systems, which will need to be replaced.

"It is clear from the NAO report that the setting of unrealistic deadlines has been very damaging," said Dr Chaand Nagpaul of the British Medical Association, which speaks for doctors.