Carruthers becomes the fifth SRO for NHS IT programme

Sir Ian Carruthers, acting chief executive of the NHS, has been appointed the latest overall senior responsible owner for the £6.2bn national programme for IT in the NHS (NPfIT).

He becomes the most senior person yet to take on the mantle for the late-running NHS IT project, which has had a string of different SROs since it was established in 2003.

Sir Ian has taken over the role of SRO from Department of Health director John Bacon, who stepped down following his sideways move at the DH earlier this year.

The acting NHS CEO becomes the fifth individual to hold the position of SRO for the programme. In reverse order the previous incumbents have been DH director Professor John Pattison, deputy chief medical officer Professor Aidan Halligan, ex-health authority chief executive Alan Burns and lastly DH director John Bacon.

The Office of Government Commerce's Gateway guidance on delivering major IT projects stresses there should be as much continuity as possible in the person occupying the position of SRO throughout the duration of a project.