Comment: NHS National Programme minefield

Give Richard Granger and the National Programme for IT in the health service a chance. They have the best interests of patients at heart.

The NHS National Programme is a minefield. And unlike many large-scale private sector IT projects, every tentative step will be caught in the unforgiving floodlights of public, and particularly media, scrutiny.

And so it should be. This is our money we're talking about.

There are reasons for concern: the government's record on projects of this scale is not promising, as vnunet.com's sister publication Computing highlighted earlier this month.There are major challenges over timing, political influence, technology and management.

But belief in accountability for public sector projects also requires a degree of common sense and responsibility.

The man in charge of the National Programme, Richard Granger, is justified in his irritation at the coalition of whingers who have written off the whole exercise before it has started.

Constructive criticism is important and considered opposition is valid. We have even set up a group to monitor and offer advice on the progress of the project.

There is a vast difference, however, between informed scepticism and the kind of negativity - even abuse - that we hear from some quarters.

Fear of change and technophobia is almost inevitably an issue for some health professionals. But there's the distinct whiff of cheap opportunism about some of the opposition.

But beware those pressing their noses against the window of public service transformation, praying for failure so they will get the chance to say: "I told you so."

Few of these critics suggest viable alternatives.

Think about your own IT projects. How much would you welcome a bunch of self-interested know-alls leaning over your shoulder screeching: "You don't wanna do that. That'll never work."

Let's at least give Granger and his team a chance to succeed and accept that they, unlike some self-interested opponents, have the interests of patients at heart.