Shareholders of healthcare software specialist iSoft yesterday approved the sale of the company to Australian firm IBA Health.

A succesful court hearing on 29th October will allow iSoft shares to be de-listed and the sale completed the next day.

The deal is as good as done, said Gary Cohen, executive chairman of IBA Health in a statement.

"It's been a long journey. You would have to say we are in the final 100 meters dash to the finishing line, and there's no-one else at the starting gate, " he said.

Cohen said iSoft will remain committed to delivering the Lorenzo product - a key part of the £12bn National Programme for NHS IT (NPfIT) – by 2008.

The sale was originally blocked by CSC, which oversees 60 per cent of the NPfIT, because of concerns about delivery of Lorenzo.