IT chaos in healthcare puts troops’ lives at risk

Alarm at computer debacle in surgeries
Medics treat a simulated casualty during a training exercise. Doctors have warned that “systematic” IT failures are putting armed forces personnel at risk
Medics treat a simulated casualty during a training exercise. Doctors have warned that “systematic” IT failures are putting armed forces personnel at risk
ALAN CROWHURST/EPA

Britain’s armed forces personnel are at serious risk because of chronic computer failures at military surgeries across the country, doctors have warned.

Servicemen and women are in danger of being given the wrong drugs and missing out on life-saving vaccines because GPs are routinely locked out of patient records and cannot print the right prescriptions, medical staff have told The Times. One described the IT system as “the biggest threat to patient safety that I have encountered in my 20-year career”.

Other military doctors, who are not permitted to engage with the media without permission from their chain of command, spoke out anonymously today after seeing the coverage in this newspaper.

“I sincerely hope something comes of your story today,” one said.

The GP