HC Deb 26 July 1999 vol 336 cc32-3W
Mr. Burns

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those NHS Trusts in England which are not millennium compliant. [90104]

Mr. Denham

[holding answer 7 July 1999]: At 31 May 1999, there were four out of 477 National Health Service organisations considered by the NHS Executive to be making 'unsatisfactory' progress in their preparations for Year 2000. They were: Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust; Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust; Oxfordshire Ambulance NHS Trust; Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust. In each case action is being taken by the NHS Trusts concerned with the support of the NHS Executive to ensure they will be fully prepared with compliant systems and equipment or effective contingency plans in place by 30 September 1999, the deadline set for all NHS organisations.

Mr. Burns

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action is being taken to ensure Mid Essex Hospital Trust is millennium compliant. [90003]

Mr. Denham

[holding answer 7 July 1999]: Mid Essex Hospital Services National Health Service Trust is working towards the 30 September deadline to ensure that all systems are compliant or that effective contingency plans are in place if full compliance cannot be achieved. The NHS Trust has appointed its Director of Nursing as the new project manager in charge of its response to the year 2000 issue and the Chief Executive of the NHS Trust is personally involved in the process. The NHS Executive Eastern Regional Office year 2000 team and the NHS Trust are working closely to ensure that appropriate plans are in place and that all deadlines are met. Work is being undertaken in the following areas, which were assessed as "unsatisfactory" in the 31 May returns: The production and regular updating of inventories for information technology systems. The identification of proposals to fix or replace information technology systems which are not year 2000 compliant. The assessment of legal liabilities arising from year 2000 non-compliance. The identification of key areas of risk, which would result in year 2000 compliance not being addressed by 30 September 1999.

It is the NHS Trust's intention that it will meet the deadline of 30 September.

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