Book excerpt: The National Programme for IT is dependent on the deployment of systems in an increasingly devolved NHS. This report examines the progress being made in delivering the Programme, including the termination of Fujitsu's contract as the Local Service Provider for the South. Some systems are being deployed across the NHS. The Care Records Service, however, is at least four years behind schedule, with the Department's latest forecasts putting completion at 2014-15. At 31 August 2008, new care records systems had been deployed in 133 of the 380 Trusts. Trusts in the North, Midlands and East have been receiving an interim system and will have to go through a further deployment in due course to implement Lorenzo, the care records software for the North, Midlands and East, which has suffered major delays. By the end of 2008, Lorenzo had not been deployed throughout any Acute Trust and in only one Primary Care Trust. Fujitsu's contract covering the South of England was terminated in May 2008. Negotiations to reset the contract had failed because the two sides were unable to agree on the price and commercial terms. The future arrangements for the South remain under discussion, but Trusts which have not yet implemented a new care records system will be allowed to choose between those offered by the two remaining Local Service Providers, BT and CSC. The estimated cost of the Programme is £12.7 billion, including £3.6 billion of local costs, although this figure remains uncertain. Keeping patient data secure is crucial to the reputation and success of the Programme, and the Department is confident that the mechanisms it is putting in place will provide a high level of security.