By VANESSA BIDOIS
HAMILTON - Health Waikato is under pressure to review its controversial choice of computer network.
Critics of the $11 million Shared Medical Systems (SMS) were claiming vindication yesterday after the release of a report into Health Waikato's decision to buy the computer upgrade.
Now they want Health Waikato to re-evaluate the American-designed network, which will cost $72 million to run over the next three years.
The executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, Ian Powell, said millions of dollars had already been wasted on a system that was struggling to take off both at Health Waikato and Capital Coast Health.
"What it requires now is an investigation about whether they should ditch it or try and make it work."
James Ritchie, of the Nurses' Organisation, said the report was a wakeup call for Health Waikato board members, who should change their ways or quit.
"They should stop calling for further reports and [stop] pretending that everything's okay with this project, because it certainly is not."
According to the report by law firm Bell Gully, the decisionmaking process by Health Waikato was "generally robust" but had some failings.
Draft tender and contract procedures were not followed, nor was the best practice for purchasing information technology.
The Minister of Health, Annette King, said the Government would not tolerate crown agencies or institutions that did not follow proper procedures or good practice in tendering and purchasing.
The chief executive of Health Waikato, Dr Jan White, said nearly all the areas identified in the report had been addressed and any outstanding issues were being dealt with immediately.
Several senior managers at Health Waikato resigned after the board's decision in 1998 to follow Capital Coast Health and buy the SMS network against their recommendations.
The chairwoman of the Waikato Coalition for Public Health, Sue Moroney, said the report detailed many recommendations against the SMS network that the board chose to ignore.
However, board chairman Jack Jenkins, who resigned last Friday, said it was a load of rubbish to claim that the board had discounted the recommendations of staff.
The report ruled that Mr Jenkins, who is also the former executive chairman of Capital Coast Health, did not have a conflict of interest in the transaction.
Critics want review of costly computer deal
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.