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NHS computer chief failed computer studies exam
Last updated at 00:37am on 13.11.06
NHS: Things are less than idyllic as its billion pound IT backbone crumbles
Richard Granger is one of the highest paid civil servants in charge of a £20billion project to transform the NHS's computer system.
But despite his colossal £280,000 a year pay packet, Granger's 'Connecting for Health' project is over-budget, behind schedule and threatening to become the biggest IT disaster in history.
Now we may finally have the explanation for all the problems.
His mother revealed that the man overseeing largest civilian IT project in the world failed his computer studies course while at Bristol University.
He took a year off after the debacle and was only allowed to resit the exam when 62-year-old Mary Granger appealed on his behalf.
The retired teacher, who hasn't spoken to her son for ten years after a family row, said yesterday: 'I can't believe that my son is running the IT modernisation programme for the whole of the NHS.
'He was disappointed when he failed his computer studies course at Bristol.
'It was pretty serious, so I had to write to Princess Anne, who at that time was "university visitor" there to appeal for him to be allowed to resit the exam, as initially he was refused permission.'
Mr Granger passed the exam on a resit and eventually graduated with a 2:2 in geology.
The 41-year-old worked as geologist in Singapore and Australia after leaving university before moving on to Andersen Consulting and then becoming a partner at Deloitte and Touche.
In his new role as the head of the 'Connecting for Health' project, the married father of two earns £100,000 more than Tony Blair.
The ambitious initiative was supposed to transform the NHS's computers and provide an online booking system, centralised medical records for 50 million patients and the facility to draw up electronic prescriptions.
But it is already three years late and over budget, and last month Britain's leading computer scientists called for an urgent inquiry into the crisis hit scheme, after warning it may not work.
In an open letter to MPs on the Commons Health Select Committee, 23 eminent scientists from universities including Oxford and Cambridge have raised major doubts about the project.
Pressure for an independent review has mounted after it emerged that systems problems led to 110 major incidents in hospitals in recent months.
Lives may have been put at risk after X-ray systems crashed and dozens of hospitals lost access to their main computer systems.
The British Medical Association has also warned that doctors have lost faith in the new system as they have not been properly consulted over it.
Mrs Granger, who is now a councillor, believes some of the money spent on the disaster prone 'Connecting for Health' system would have been better spent on her local hospital in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, which is under threat.
Mrs Granger is campaigning against a plan to change health services across West Yorkshire which could see the Huddersfield Royal Infirmary lose its main maternity unit.
Other services, including mental health and care for the elderly are moving to the Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax.
She said: 'I feel dismayed that I'm watching the hospital where I gave birth to my children, where Harold Wilson was born, being dismantled. Some of the money which goes into Connecting for Health could be saving my local services.'
Mrs Granger has not spoken to her son for a decade after family rows involving her husband Les, Mr Granger's stepfather, and their other two children. She would not elaborate on the subject of the rows.
In September, leading supplier Accenture announced it was quitting the 'Connecting for Health' scheme after suffering major losses.
The IT firm walked away from contracts worth £2billion after the project became bogged down by glitches.
Reader views (6)
The software companies seem to be getting paid quite a lot of money to come up with these contracts and at the end of it they still own the software (the NHS gets a license). Surely it makes more sense for the NHS to pay to own the software outright - then they can at least try to fix things up when big problems like this happen, and they might see them coming earlier on.
- Tim, Manchester, GB
Large IT systems should evolve in a controlled and properly managed way. These 'big bang' approaches invariably go wrong and are way over budget because the people making the decision have no accountability and believe they have an open-ended budget. Ministers spend only a few years in their posts before moving to another one. If it all goes wrong they are simply shuffled aside to start afresh, and replaced by someone who denies any responsibilty for the failed project they have 'inherited'. Does this sound alike familiar Labour excuse when things go wrong? What sort of country will we 'inherit' if this incompetence goes on for much longer?
- Dan, Manchester
I have had constant debate with people around regarding the (non)feasibility of the whole ID card system, and infact any IT initiative that is lead by the government and i am always amazed by the fact that the list of examples is growing bigger and bigger every week!! It seems the current government is much better at spinning then actually doing their job ie running the country!! We have to make those responsible for the mess accountable for their failure!!
- Tommy, London, UK
If the government allows its projects to be always late, over budget and cost 10 times the original value. Plus standard excuses of blaming each other for inaccurate requirements. These private companies are just playing the game in making money. Who is really going to pay for this fiasco? No one will lose their salary, reputation etc. These companies keep getting more government contracts. Well this is the modern way of doing business!
- Bp, London
An amusing story. But it sounds like his mother has an axe to grind. And qualifications certainly aren't everything. BTW, how did he end up with a Geology degree? Must have changed subjects I guess. Unless the "computer studies course" was simply part of his Geology degree course?
- Richard Hancock, Bracknell, Berkshire
If this is a white elephant, just imagine what the ID card system will become.
- Kenny, Hampstead, London
