The two remaining suppliers on the NHS’ national IT programme faced tough questions from UK ministers yesterday, as the Public Accounts Committee quizzed them over the much delayed scheme.

The PAC grilled BT Health president Patrick O’Connell and CSC’s UK healthcare president Sheri Thureen, after the findings of a recent National Audit Commission report on the programme. The report, published last week, found that reducing the scope of NPfIT was more likely to reduce value than cost.

You can watch the PAC’s interviews here (requires Microsoft Silverlight). 

Also speaking before the committee were the Department of Health’s informatics chief Christine Connolly and NHS chief executive Sir David Nicholson.

Connolly remarked that despite the deadline and budget over runs, it would now be more expensive to scrap Lorenzo, the care records system being delivered by CSC, than to keep it going.