NPfIT director general hands in his scrubs

The Department of Health (DoH) has confirmed that Richard Granger has left his post as director general of the NHS National Programme for IT. This follows a period in which there has been uncertainty about Granger's continued role in the programme. He had announced in July that he would leave by the end of 2007, but this had …

[Peter Fielden-Weston]

I would apply...

...but I can spell IT, so I'm probably over qualified aren't I?

[B Johnson]

Think rodents + sinking ship

Prepare for an announcement that the whole thing has gone tits-up.

Why on earth they didn't go for the proven OS solution that powers the US veterans system nobody knows. OK, it is called Vista, but that doesn't automatically mean that it is crap,

[Anonymous Coward]

Typical DoH

Typical DoH. Get rid of one manager paid a fortune and replace them with 2 more. And NPfIT will still be badly managed along the lines of all Government IT projects

[Lewis Greaves]

I would apply

Think about it this way apply helm the sinking ship for 6 months to a year, golden parachute off into another cushy .gov job on even higher pay as most do then spend 3 years "doing IT jobs" then become an overpaid consultant to .gov - I think it's a very sensible job progression process....... I'll go grab my coat ... and CV ;)

Paris because with those kind of wages I could save up for a pretty personal assistant that looks very similar with a similar level of IT knowledge ;)

[Tawakalna]

poisoned chalice?

who in the name of the Valar would accept this role, in which one can only fail?

I worked on NPfIT and the day my contract finished was like being released from prison. An incompetently-run prison.

[Giles Jones]

@B Johnson

What are you on about?

The NPFIT system has been in the making since 2004 at least, maybe earlier. Vista wasn't released until Jan 30th 2007.

This system is a massive data warehouse, probably one of the largest in the world. There's no way anyone in their right mind would advocate running that on Windows Vista (which is a Desktop OS not a server OS).

[Anonymous Coward]

@Giles

I would think the Vista previously alluded to is more likely to be the Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology (VistA)

[archie lukas]

Scubs?

Scrubs???????

He might have able to bullshite the suits in the remoter world of carpets, posh seats, wooden veneer desks....

But we wouldn't let the chap anywhere near a clinical environment.

His messing with the non-functioning NPfIT non-integrated software created enough harm to the patient experience without letting him into scrubs.

There are limits in how far old blarney goes you know

[Mat]

Whoopee

More work for me!!! (When it does eventually die...)

[Anonymous Coward]

The only surprise...

Is that he lasted as long as he did. I worked on the front line of this project for 9 months, and it was sheer hell. No-one has even the slightest clue what is going on, and the staff involved in the implementation have no faith in it ever seeing the light of day. The fact that a system that could actually endanger lives ever made it this far is amazing in itself to be honest!

Paris because... I'm going to France for my medical treatment from now on.

[Anonymous Coward]

Vista?

In what way are the needs of the US Veteran Heathcare service and the UK's National Health Service (Worlds Leading Social Heathcare Organisation with 600+ Trusts, 1.4m employees and 60m+ patients) similar?

And what has an OS got to do with it?

Muppet!

Paris' response .... Well it's sick people ... innit?