Lib Dems vow to scrap NHS records plan

Party questions £13bn spending on electronic patient records database

Clegg: Why spend on a botched NHS system

The Liberal Democrats have vowed to scrap the delayed NHS electronic patient record database to cut spending and finance tax reductions.

Party leader Nick Clegg singled out the programme for attack in his keynote speech winding up the party's Bournemouth conference this week, challenging the Labour government to explain why "it is spending nearly £13bn on a botched NHS system" when it has proved incapable of keeping people's data secure.

And shadow chancellor Vince Cable told delegates: "We have got to stop questionable government IT projects like that for the NHS and insist procurement is from the cheapest, open source."

But the Lib Dems accepted that the choose-and-book system, which forms the bulk of the £3.6bn already spent on the programme, is here to stay.

The party questioned the practicality and wisdom of creating an online medical records database on every patient because of the implications for civil liberty and privacy - even if it was proving a technical success.

A party spokesman said the leadership believes implementation is still a long way off and should be halted as soon as possible.

"The records system is still a long time away and it is still seriously in its infancy," he said.

Cable is looking for government schemes to axe to help find the £20bn he needs to fund Lib Dem priorities with enough left for more tax cuts.