Computer budget kept quiet

‘‘Essentially National Oracle Solution is a shared services model and it is looking to create economies of scale. But there is real concern that it won’t meet its go-live date. Every time the project misses its launch date, the sector misses out on potential efficiency gains. It makes you question the whole governance framework around such projects.’’

The project was born out of another programme dubbed Finance, Procurement and Supply Chain.

National Oracle Solution inherited $10.5 million of funding from the earlier project.

Regular updates

Waikato District Health Board interim chief executive Derek Wright was ‘‘reasonably confident’’ the National Oracle Solution programme would meet its go-live date after having received regular updates on its progress.

The project had been in the works for several years and promised to deliver efficiencies and cost savings to the health sector.

‘‘We’ve been waiting for this for a wee while so if the project is delivered in July or August I don’t think it will make a huge difference,’’ Wright said.

‘‘We’re a country of just over 4 million people and it makes sense to have one system of procurement. It’s a bit like Pharmac. When we moved to having Pharmac negotiate and purchase all our medicine, we suddenly got much better deals and we were able to reinvest more money into pharmaceuticals.

‘‘Like any big IT project it’s had its issues but from a district health board point of view we still see National Oracle Solution as being a solution for New Zealand.’’

Wright said the Labour-led Government appeared committed to the project.

Waikato District Health Board member Martin Gallagher said it was appropriate for health boards to use one platform when it came to financial and accounting systems.

Gallagher said he would seek a briefing on the project.

‘‘For a country of four and a half million people, having singular systems has much to commend it. But I will be asking questions and I have found Derek Wright extremely receptive and interactive with the board in these areas,’’ Gallagher said.