iSoft, the healthcare software provider that rose to notoriety through its involvement in the NHS’ much-delayed Connecting for Health project, has been acquired by IT services provider CSC.

The company’s troubles began in 2004, when it was embroiled in an accounting scandal. Two years later, the company warned that it was behind schedule on the NHS’ IT centralisation project, then known as NPfIT. The company’s CEO resigned following the revelation, causing its share price to crash.

In 2007, it was acquired by Australian provider IBA Health Group, which changed its name to iSoft. CSC, iSoft’s deployment partner for the NHS project, objected to the acquisition at the time, saying it would endanger the project’s success.

Now CSC has acquired iSoft, in a deal worth around £120 million. The move strengthens CSC’s position in the healthcare IT market, an especially valuable market following healthcare reforms in the US.

Last year, the current UK government cut the scope and the budget of NPfIT, or Connecting for Health as it was later known. But many of the component projects continue, including the Lorenzo care records system contracted to CSC and iSoft.

However, according to a report from the Guardian earlier this year, the Department of Health said it was considering CSC’s future involvement in the project after it admitted yet more project delays. CSC’s iSoft acquisition may therefore be an attempt to get the Lorenzo deployment under control.