RBH Blows £18m taxpayer's money on IT overspend, Local NHS Hospital shows incredible inefficient procurement Options

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More ring fenced cash goes to waste:

See
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-22727586#

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There is a subtle difference between what the beancounters think and what the real cost is to the end user.
I don't know the full details of what the RBH system is but probably, by the sound of it, won't be an "off the shelf system". You can bet that the hospital management have all wanted input. (Horse designed by committee = Camel).

That said, with the number of hospitals in the UK requiring software and the fact that it is a "National" health service should have prompted Central government to get a single contractor to design and develop a common system which can be purchased and will give the basics for all hospitals. The system could then be modified or upgraded to suit individual hospitals. That should keep the cost down but there are large salaries to be paid in software development, second only to the legal profession perhaps.
After all, hospitals all do similar jobs, mend broken people and keep records of what they have done and of course if they have a common system then transfer of patients (do they call them clients) and their records would be simple.

[On the edge]

There is a subtle difference between what the beancounters think and what the real cost is to the end user.
I don't know the full details of what the RBS system is but probably, by the sound of it, won't be an "off the shelf system". You can bet that the hospital management have all wanted input. (Horse designed by committee = Camel).

That said, with the number of hospitals in the UK requiring software and the fact that it is a "National" health service should have prompted Central government to get a single contractor to design and develop a common system which can be purchased and will give the basics for all hospitals. The system could then be modified or upgraded to suit individual hospitals. That should keep the cost down but there are large salaries to be paid in software development, second only to the legal profession perhaps.
After all, hospitals all do similar jobs, mend broken people and keep records of what they have done and of course if they have a common system then transfer of patients (do they call them clients) and their records would be simple.

About 20 years ago they did have a national project...ended up as being one of the biggest Government IT fiascos ever. The present débâcle is supposed to be what came instead.

The basic concept is very very simple and as you say, a common requirement throughout the World, let alone the Country. However, as any Project Management hack will confirm, nothing will happen with the usual collection of privileged state funded ego's all wanting 'to be engaged and have their input'.

In this particular case, I'm surprised that anything got delivered al all - that must be a first!