NHS announces details of IT reform contracts

Two projects central to the reform of health service IT took a big step forward this week.

Computing can reveal that the NHS Modernisation Agency is to award a £50m contract for suppliers to work on the national electronic booking programme.

By 2005, GPs will be able to book hospital appointments for their patients online.

Several pilot schemes are underway, but the Agency wants to bring in experts to advise on national implementation and provide training and services to support the project.

'We want someone to advise local communities of the best way forward, taking into account local capacity and legacy systems,' said a spokeswoman for the National Booking Programme.

'We are building up gradually and learning as we go along, rather than buying a single system and rolling it out everywhere,' she said.

And the NHS Information Authority (NHSIA) has signed a multi-million pound deal with BT and Cable & Wireless to upgrade the NHSNet network to ensure that all GPs and hospitals have a broadband connection by 2004.

The NHSNet upgrade is an interim measure before the implementation of a new high bandwidth network, due to start next year.

GP surgeries will move to a 256Kbps connection, and all Primary Care Trusts to at least 2Mbps.