HL Deb 18 June 2003 vol 649 cc125-6WA
The Earl of Northesk

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many local National Health Service electronic patient records contracts have been cancelled; and at what cost to the public purse. [HL3122]

Lord Warner

Information about local contracts let by National Health Service organisations for electronic patient record systems is not held centrally where there is no need for Departmental approval.

No contracts that have been awarded have been cancelled.

Baroness Noakes

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the status of electronic patient records projects in the National Health Service. [HL3240]

Lord Warner

The delivery of electronic records is being taken forward as part of the Integrated Care Records Service (ICRS) which is core to the National Programme for Information Technology.

An advertisement was issued on 31 January 2003 in the Official Journal of the European Community calling for expressions of interest from the private sector to supply professional IT applications and services to the National Health Service in England as a key element of the implementation process for I C'RS. Longlisted suppliers are currently being invited to submit proposals for ICRS that will include access to records and the functionality needed to support clinical practice.

Baroness Noakes

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How much has been spent on electronic patient records projects in each of the three years ended 2002–03 (a) from central funds and (b) from local National Health Service funds. [HL3241]

Lord Warner

Central funding for electronic patient records projects had been in the context of the Electronic Record Development and Implementation Programme (ERDIP) for the National Health Service in England.

The ERDIP projects were funded to a total of £12.7 million for the three year period ended March 2003. The breakdown by year (£000) is:

  • 2000–01 £4,032
  • 2001–02 £4,863
  • 2002–03 £3,843 (this amount includes £2,635,000 from the National Programme for Health Records Infrastructure, Integrated Care Records Services and National Patients Record Analysis Service work).

All of the ERDIP projects have now formally completed and the lessons learned have been fed into the National Programme for Information Technology in the NHS work.

Investment by local NHS organisations on electronic patient records is not monitored centrally.