Report casts doubt on U.K. electronic records

Fresh doubts have been cast over the future of the U.K.'s national electronic records program, following a highly critical report published today by the National Audit Office (NAO).

The report's authors insist that the project will never achieve the central objective of a seamless national electronic patient record system across the entire National Health Service. They state that the money spent so far -- 2.7 billion pounds, or 3.06 billion euros -- does not represent good value for money and the government should reconsider spending additional cash set aside to complete the scheme.

IT vendor CSC took over the project when Accenture resigned in 2008, and has installed systems in only four of the 97 sites. None of these systems are delivering the clinical benefits originally expected from a national electronic patient record, according to the NAO. British Telecom's work on installing similar systems, mainly around London and in the south of England, has not been as severely delayed as CSC's work, but is still far from complete, the report notes.

For more information about the report, visit the NAO website.