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Tony Collins is an investigative and campaigning journalist and former Executive Editor at Computer Weekly. With his friend and colleague David Bicknell he wrote "Crash", which found common factors in the world's largest public and private sector IT-related failures. He wrote "Open Verdict", a book on the strange deaths of defence scientists. He writes, and gives talks, on the tensions and disputes between suppliers and users.

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NHS IT scheme still soaking up billions says The Times

The Times suggests on its front page today that CSC is to get £2bn from NPfIT deals

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A headline at the top of front page of The Times today says:

Exclusive - NHS computer fiasco still costing billions

The Times continues with three inside pages (6-8) on how CSC is banking on getting £2bn for its failed system, why the NPfIT was "blighted from the start by bad decisions", and how CSC is giving a £7m payoff to its boss Michael Laphen. 

The Times says that CSC has seen "benefits from lucrative deals funded by the British taxpayer". It also quotes US court papers that cite an email in April this year to Laphen from his deputy head of testing who said: "The project is on a death march, where almost as many defects are being introduced as are being fixed".

Laphen, 61, is leaving as chairman, president and chief executive of CSC. He declined to speak to The Times. Chris Grandis, CSC’s corporate director for global public relations, told the paper: 

“In light of the stage of negotiations we are in with the NHS on our contract, we are limiting our public comments strictly to operational matters,” 


The Times' front page article article says that the National Programme for IT was axed in the autumn but runs up £2bn bill.

                "Taxpayers will foot the bill for a further £2bn on a failed NHS IT project even though the Government has already pulled the plug on it."  




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