Wrangle over NHS delays

Central programme not to blame for ebookings delays, says Granger

Delays to the electronic bookings element of the £6bn National Programme for NHS IT are not the responsibility of the central programme, says Health Service IT director general Richard Granger.

NHS chief executive Sir Nigel Crisp said this week that ebookings is 12 months behind schedule because of issues connecting hospital systems.

But Granger says his team has delivered the national application as required, and that the delays are NHS-wide organisational issues, and outside his control.

‘The core software is available and does what it was asked to do, and was delivered on time,’ he said.