Ditching NHS database may cost London hospitals dear

Hospitals in London face huge bills if a key part of the electronic patient records system is scrapped.

Ministers are expected to announce plans for the £11 billion database that links all parts of the NHS are to be axed after it was branded "unworkable".

Instead, there will be a more localised set-up with hospitals buying their own computer systems to suit their needs.

Under the revised deal with BT in the capital, some hospitals will get systems worth £31 million from the programme, but others may have to fund the new databases themselves.

So far, the Department of Health has spent £6.4 billion on the programme, which was launched in 2002, including £2.7 billion on patient records.

MPs today attacked the Government for wasting millions in taxpayers' money adding many hospitals "may have little choice but to continue with outdated interim systems that could be very expensive to maintain and upgrade".

In a scathing report, the Commons public accounts committee said: "Implementation of alternative up-to-date IT systems has fallen significantly behind schedule and costs have escalated.

"The department could have avoided some of the pitfalls and waste if they had consulted at the start of the process with health professionals.

The report said officials have accepted they are unable to deliver the planned system and are "now relying on individual NHS trusts to develop systems compatible with those in the programme".

Labour MP Margaret Hodge, chairwoman of the committee, said: "Trying to create a one-size-fits-all system in the NHS was a massive risk and has proven to be unworkable."