UK-Health
A Pnds 12.7 billion (Dlrs 25 bn) nationwide system to computerise all patients' records will not be introduced in England until 2014/15, four years later than planned, according to the government's public spending watchdog.

The National Audit Office Friday reported "serious delays" in applying new software for the National Programme for IT in the Nation Health Service (NHS) and said the Government had underestimated the challenges involved.

Its progress report concluded that while all elements of the programme are advancing, the original timescales for the Care Records Service were "unachievable, raised unrealistic expectations and put confidence in the programme at risk".

The IT programme involves four main projects: a centralised electronic medical record system for 50 million patients; an online "choose and book" system to book hospital appointments; electronic prescriptions; and fast network links between NHS organisations.

The system, which is expected to link more than 30,000 GPs in England to almost 300 hospitals, has already come under repeated criticism, including from committees of MPs, over the delays as well as fears over the security of patient information.

"The scale of the challenge involved in delivering the National Programme for IT has proved to be far greater than envisaged at the start, with serious delays in delivering the new care records systems," Tim Burr, head of the National Audit Office, said.

"The priority now is to finish developing and deploying care records systems that will help NHS Trusts to achieve the Programme's intended benefits of improved services and better patient care," Burr said.