Inquiry into £6bn NHS database

A £6billion NHS computer project is to be investigated by Parliament's financial watchdog amid fears that it could end in disaster.

The scheme to put all patients' records on computer was promised by Tony Blair in 2002 to hit waiting-time targets and allow patients to make GP or hospital treatment appointments online.

But in an unprecedented move, the National Audit Office has now announced that it will start work on a year-long investigation to check whether the computerisation offers value for money and can be delivered on time.

Concern has been growing after a series of IT disasters across Whitehall, including failures to Work and Pensions and National Insurance computerisation. Other blunders have dogged the Criminal Records Bureau and the Passport Service.

The National Programme for IT in the NHS is already falling behind schedule, although officials insist it has no major problems as yet.

There has been criticism that the project is being rushed and that there has been a lack of consultation with doctors.