Fujitsu seeks payment for NHS IT work

Fujitsu Services has submitted a claim for payment to the NHS, following its sacking in May from the National Programme for IT.

A spokesperson for the firm refused to confirm or deny a claim in The Independent newspaper that the vendor is asking for £700m of the £896m it was due to have been paid if the 10-year contract had been completed, but added that the two sides are not involved in legal action.

The claim has been made through an arbitration process within the supplier's contract with NHS Connecting for Health (CfH). "Fujitsu Services has sent a procedure initiation notice to NHS CfH as the first step in the process established by the contract to resolve issues," said the spokesperson.

"We hope we will be able to successfully resolve any issues between Fujitsu and NHS CfH through this mechanism," the spokesperson added.

Commenting on The Independent article, a spokesperson for CfH said: "Under the terms of a joint confidentiality agreement with Fujitsu, we are not able to enter into discussion about these allegations. NHS CfH and NHS strategic health authorities are working closely with Fujitsu to ensure a smooth transition to future arrangements for trusts in the south of England."

CfH terminated Fujitsu's contract as local service provider to the NHS National Programme for IT in the south of England in May, after the two sides failed to agree on the future of the deal.