Perhaps Southampton ought to have a word with the University Hospitals of Leicester PCT. Capita "run" their payroll too. Hundreds of staff went unpaid for MONTHS and some still haven't been paid. Total unmitigated disaster is the phrase which springs to mind. Oh and before anyone suggests it, you cannot take a govt dept to the small claims track for compensation so the NHS staff were royally screwed. Sounds like Southhampton council staff are next for the Capita treatment....

Its not as if the Soton online systems and IT infrastructure isnt horrific already.

Glad I live in pompey now. Till they get ideas....

And no doubt the good and honourable Crapita will deliver a quality service for now and evermore, and demonstrate its excellence at delivery.

In an increasingly IT led world... there's absolutely no need for local government to have any in-house knowledge and skills in the IT sector. Nope, no need at all. This way the local government can:

1) Make mediocre short-term savings on IT infrastructure, followed by long-term massive losses

2) Start from a mediocre (at best) IT infrastructure, made mediocre because of lack of investment (it's much more important that the councillors have custom number plates and attend lots of narcisisstic events than spend money on infrastructure). From there they can then spend initially less and then more money for, erm, no improvements to the infrastructure.

3) Deploy IT based "solutions" such as local ID cards, eGovernment sites, with no IT knowledge or in-house skills at all.

Looks like a win, win situation all round. Unless you're a tax payer, live in the Southampton area or work for Southampton council.

Ta for the coffee coated monitor, can I have some of what you are on? :) The men in white coats wont let me have my meds.

In all seriousness I have a sneaking suspicion I know whats happened here and who the guilty party is. Funny, and ex capita employee high-up in Soton CC for 3 years and then this. Wonder if theyll get paid £££ a year for doing nothing like they did before?

Consulting the public after the deed has been done... that's a poor joke for the people (and staff) of Southampton...

I'd love to know just who the ex Capita employee is... and Pompey probably will be next to follow Southampton's example...

IT in southampton is undergoing a major upgrade and others pulled out the bidding when it was just IT and Gateway as there was 'not enough in it' for them!