NHS: In-house Software Capabilities

Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate Excerpts

Monday 16th March 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

The straightforward answer is that we are doing exactly that. It is important to say that our front-line digitisation—our move from analogue to digital—is not something for the sake of it; we are doing it because it is improving efficiency and outcomes. For example, a 94% coverage of electronic patient records is expected by the end of this month, and the digitally mature trusts show a 13% lower cost per admission. That is a prize worth having, but we can do it only through the systems and training that the noble Baroness seeks.

[Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate (Con)]

My Lords, I support what the noble Viscount said. The history of software in the National Health Service is nothing less than a disaster. Coupled with that is a very unfortunate situation where some of the companies that have been responsible for these messes in the NHS are still on the Government’s procurement lists and are still getting contracts from the Government. Surely more attention should be paid to that, and we should curb that as soon as possible.

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

If the noble Lord has particular companies in mind, he is most welcome to raise them with me. It is important that we look at what NHS teams have done: they have designed, built and maintained national platforms. The NHS app is an example; I am sure that many noble Lords will be familiar with it. That is going to be our digital front door to the NHS. In addition, there is the NHS login and core national infrastructure. All these mean full NHS ownership, governance and control. Supported by £2.5 billion of investment in 2025-26, we are, as the noble Lord seeks, expanding NHS in-house digital capability to reduce the reliance on large suppliers.