Written question asked by Lord Lansley (Conservative) on Friday, 10 February 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 14 February 2006. It was answered by Liam Byrne (Labour) on Friday, 3 March 2006 on behalf of the Department of Health.

National Programme for Information Technology

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether local service provider deployment activity as part of the National Programme for Information Technology is being rescheduled, with particular reference to the software supplier iSoft; and if she will make a statement.

Answer: In the Eastern, North East, and North West and West Midlands cluster areas, where iSoft solutions are being deployed, some 900 sites have had iSoft solutions installed, and these are being used by more than 25,000 users. Some local service provider (LSP) local system deployment activity is being re-scheduled as a result of LSPs and their subcontractors, including iSoft, taking longer than originally anticipated to deliver software solutions.However, there is no single new deadline. The national programme for information technology is a hugely complex ten-year programme which will see many thousands of further deployments and associated deadlines. Because contracts under the programme are structured so that financing and completion risk rests with the LSPs and their subcontractors, those who deliver get paid; the corollary also applies.

Secondary information