NHS close to appointing IT chief

The new IT tsar for the health service could be announced as early as next week.

The role of NHS director general of IT programmes - first advertised in early June - is expected to be one of the most challenging IT roles in the country.

Barry Latchford, the headhunter appointed to find the right person for the job, told Computing that only a handful of the 100 or so applicants were good enough, but the search is almost over.

'We're expecting there to be an announcement in the next week or so,' he said. 'It's taking longer than I would have expected.'

The IT director general will be responsible for an ambitious programme that is critical to modernising the NHS.

He or she will oversee projects worth over £1 billion a year for the next five years including electronic patient records and clinical tools, electronic prescribing and appointment booking.

Latchford is also recruiting a head of delivery for criminal justice IT, a three year, £75,000 per year appointment to join up the police, Crown Prosecution Service, courts and the Prison Service.

'Salary is always an issue with government, but if the role is attractive enough people will sacrifice money for the experience of doing something they like,' he said.