Questions
Asked by
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the gross expenditure on the NHS National Programme for IT at actual and constant prices in each year from 2002–03 to 2008–09; and what is the forecast expenditure for 2009–10. [HL827]
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their forecast of the expenditure required from 2010–11 to 2013–14 to complete the NHS National Programme for IT in the light of the Pre-Budget Report; and when they expect to complete the programme. [HL828]
Comprehensive information is not available in the form requested. This is in part because relevant local expenditure information is not collected in a way that differentiates expenditure on the national programme for information technology from other local IT-related expenditure. In addition, the department does not routinely produce programme-level expenditure figures separately from those covering its wider responsibilities for National Health Service IT.
Expenditure information covering all those responsibilities, for the years for which it is available, is shown in the following table.
Actual Expenditure Forecast Outturn 2004-05 £ million 2005-06 £ million 2006-07 £ million 2007-08 £ million 2008-09 £ million 2009-10 £ million Capital 360.0 429.0 589.0 686.0 535.1 562.6 Revenue 260.0 539.0 528.0 507.0 528.4 573.8
Notes:
1. All sums are actual expenditure for the year in question, compiled using the accruals accounting convention, and exclude capital charges.
2. The amounts include the original costs of NPfIT contracts, which have not changed, but also include new and additional requirements that have been added, supported by separate business cases and funding, as reported by the National Audit Office.
The expenditure is made up of a very significant number of different components and activity contracted at different times across the period. Converting the figures to a meaningful common price base could only be done at disproportionate cost.
The national programme comprises a number of separate systems and services for which, as a whole, there is no single national completion date. Systems will continue to need to be upgraded in the light of new technology and changing NHS requirements. Expenditure plans for years beyond 2009-10 are currently being reviewed in the light of announcements made in the Pre-budget Report, and of the evolving IT needs of the NHS.