NHS seeks compensation claims
It is thought that some London NHS trusts have considered claiming
compensation from the NHS for troubled National Programme for IT (NPfIT) projects.
The Guardian newspaper exposed that some members from the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust had discussed who is to blame for the problems in the electronic patient’s records system.
Board minutes dated 28th August, have shown that its chief Andrew Way who believed that the NHS was to blame. It was stated: “With regard to compensation, Mr Way reminded members that the contract with the Secretary of State and that currently it was considered the NHS as a whole was failing to deliver.”
It was also said that one other NHS trust, which was not named, was also known to be seeking compensation. Board members from the Royal Free Hampstead have instructed staff to log “all problems [...] encountered to be used in the event that a claim proves possible.”
Reacting to the claims was a spokesperson from Connecting for Health which is the body responsible for the NPfIT, who denied knowledge of any London trusts making compensation claims.
Updated on 9/3/2008