US company to manage NHS IT programme

Kellogg Brown & Root Services (KBR), a subsidiary of US energy giant Halliburton, has won the deal to manage the £2.3 billion NHS IT programme.

The contractor will 'increase the rigour' with which the national programme is run, Richard Granger, director general of NHS IT, told Computing.

Under the contract KBR will supply around 35 people to the National Programme Office. About 15 will work in the head office at the Department of Health, bringing the number of staff there to more than 20. The others will boost the programme's 50-strong team.

The national programme team will this year design and award contracts for systems to create electronic health records, appointment booking and electronic transmission of prescriptions.

It is also in the process of picking contractors to take over IT arrangements at five "clusters" of health authorities around England.

KBR is owned by Halliburton, whose former chairman is US Vice President Dick Cheney. Earlier this month the company signed a deal to repair Iraq's oil infrastructure.

Granger said the vast majority of NHS managers support the programme.

'There will always be those who are less than happy with change, but they are a minority. A minority who ought to be listened to, but not in the majority.'

Granger has also announced the appointment of Duncan McNeil as head of the National Design Authority, which is creating specifications for the national systems and ensuring technical standards.

McNeil's previous government IT projects include designing an infrastructure for the Department of Work and Pensions.