HC Deb 18 November 2003 vol 413 cc866-7W
Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what cost-benefit analyses have been carried out as part of the initial work of the NHS National Programme projects. [127634]

Mr. Hutton

Each major project within the national programme for information technology in the national health service (NPfIT) is subject to business case approval process. The business cases include what conventionally can be termed cost-benefit considerations, developed with increasing detail through the life of the project and subject to review and approval at key stages.

The business cases completed and approved to date are as follows: NHS E-mail and Directory Service—Full business case approval received 13 September 2002, contract awarded to EDS on 26 September 2002. Electronic appointment booking—Full business case approval received 26 September 2003, contract awarded to SchlumbergerSema on 8 October 2003.

The procurement process is continuing for the remaining key elements of NPfIT and relevant business case approval will be received before proceeding through to final award of contract for the following: Integrated care records service (includes local service providers for the geographic clusters and national application service provider for NHS Data Spine) N3 (The New NHS Network).