back to article Hated Care.data scheme now 'unachievable', howls UK.gov watchdog

The hated Care.data programme is one of four government IT projects progressing so poorly its delivery has been deemed "unachievable", according to a government watchdog report. The scheme has been flagged with the highest "red" risk rating by the Major Projects Authority, along with the NHS choices website, the Health and …

  1. Alister

    Hated Care.data scheme now 'unachievable', howls UK.gov watchdog...

    "Bloody good thing, too," cheers UK population "we didn't want it anyway!"

    1. speedbird007

      Have an upvote sir!

    2. PNGuinn
      Stop

      @ Alister

      "Hated Care.data scheme now 'unachievable', howls UK.gov watchdog.."

      So - full steam ahead then I presume.

      After all, it's not the daft gubbermint who's got to pay for it. WE the poor bloody taxpayers will have to pay for our own private data being spaffed.

      Democracy?

  2. John G Imrie

    the Health and Social Care Information Centre has been unable to implement those objections.

    So the original spec had no plan for opt outs then.

    1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

      Re: the Health and Social Care Information Centre has been unable to implement those objections.

      Sounds like it's more of a case of the original spec never being written down and agreed by anyone, least of all the public.

  3. teebie

    ""significant performance issues were investigated and corrected""

    "Guys, we are just *so* bad at coming up with specifications. You wouldn't believe how bad"

  4. Martin Gregorie

    Clearout time

    Since care.data has now failed twice thanks to its utter failure to understand the needs of both patients and, it would seem, most NHS medical staff, its about time for heads to roll. Getting rid of everybody from project manager level upwards would be a good start. For a follow-up, Government will be doing itself a huge vavour if it also bans them from all government-related jobs in perpetuity.

    1. Hollerith 1

      Re: Clearout time

      Mr Gregorie, the people involved will simply go on to other projects. Heads very seldom roll in Government corridors, or indeed anywhere. I have worked with project managers fresh off a spectacularly failed project and they just shrug and mumble 'learnings' and do again what they did before.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Clearout time

        I'm all for sackings where appropriate but the first thing to decide is if the project manager has delivered what he was asked for. I suspect in this case it's more a case of the government changing their minds every five seconds and adding bits they forgot about.

  5. speedbird007

    Just bury it

    How about if they just "pause" it again and quietly kick it into the long grass like they have with railways improvements to the North. No one would be any the wiser

  6. PaulR79

    Ridiculous situation all round

    "So far, 700,000 individuals have requested to opt out of having their data shared with third parties. However, concerns have been raised that the Health and Social Care Information Centre has been unable to implement those objections."

    From what I've heard, possibly rumours and nothing more, even those who did opt-out had their data sold anyway. If true wouldn't that be a spectacularly massive breach of some laws? As soon as I heard about this ludicrous scheme I opted out. The only people I want to see my records are doctors helping me with any problems I may have.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Unhappy

    Care.data is dead. Long live Data.care

    They will probably just rename it and start again.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Tell me when it's dead, mmkay?

    I mean, I moved to an area where healthcare is pretty much nonexistant anyway, to the point that I take the train to see a dentist, but I might still register with a doctor when this is gone.

  9. Trollslayer
    Thumb Down

    Same old

    people getting paid obscene money as consultants.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So that's yet another impressively fucked up IT project. While it is outrageous how much of taxpayers' money has gone down the drain already, the most shocking part is that I'm not even surprised any more when yet another of Gov.uk's IT projects fail... Can they get one project right, please? Just one!

  11. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Unhappy

    One of those strange ideas that *sounds* good (to certain civil servants and politicians)

    But is actually s**t.

  12. Terry 6 Silver badge

    Impression

    I just got the impression was that the whole thing was planned backwards; deciding to share information with world inc. canines first, then deciding how to do it and for whom later.

  13. Elmer Phud

    I.D.S will call it an unprecedented success.

  14. aidanstevens
    Stop

    Hopefully they will scrap Universal Credit as well

    But I'm not holding my breath

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    This is the Tories

    They won't scrap it. Selling our property, to their friends, is who they are. Labour, otoh, also wouldn't scrap it. Selling our property, to their friends, is who they are.

    If I had one bullet for every time Labour and the Tories have butt-fucked us, one of the other parties would be able to have a go. With any luck we'd be able to sit down for a change. For maybe half an hour, before they get their act together.

  16. Kane
    Facepalm

    Hah!

    See title.

    More to the point, that's nearly £1bn spend on projects that either are not going to deliver or...no, there is no "or" really, is there?

    So, about these austerity cuts then...

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