Mark Lancaster (Whip, Whips; North East Milton Keynes, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to ensure that the Care Records Service computer system at Milton Keynes hospital is fit for purpose; and when this work will be complete.

Caroline Flint (Minister of State (Public Health), Department of Health; Don Valley, Labour)

Urgent and priority action is being taken to manage resolution of the operational difficulties which have been experienced with the new acute patient administration system (PAS) at Milton Keynes general hospital national health service trust since it went live on 24 February. This is being implemented by a joint Fujitsu and Cerner technical specialist team on behalf of the local service provider and the main subcontractor respectively. The team is in attendance daily at the trust, supervised by a senior Fujitsu management presence on site full time to lead the resolution process. Progress in tackling and overcoming the problems which have arisen, the majority of which have already been resolved, is being monitored daily.

In addition, the Department's NHS Connecting for Health agency's senior deployment manager for the south of England is for the time being stationed permanently on site to ensure the work of the Fujitsu/Cerner team is completed to the satisfaction of the trust, and that it is managed through to resolution.

Work that is now in hand is likely to result in effective operation of the PAS system within the next two to three weeks.