In a report the Opposition Leader has described as “shocking”, Auditor-General Michael Harris has exposed a $110 million technology misadventure by ACT Health.

In a damning report on invoicing and payments for Digital Health Record Hosting Services, Harris has says the initial price for the services was $66 million, which has since increased to $110 million.

On December 23 2020 ACT Health entered into a deed with NTT Australia Pty Ltd for the purpose of  providing the necessary environments for the Digital Health Record system to operate. 

The audit found that ACT Health’s processes for the management of invoicing and payments for  services were ineffective.

“ACT Health had poor processes to provide assurance that services for which NTT Australia has invoiced for have actually been provided and delivered to the relevant service standards,” says Harris.

“Today’s report is genuinely shocking,” says Liberal leader Leanne Castley. “The community has a right to be outraged at the complete mismanagement of a $110 million contract. It is time for the minister to be transparent and accountable for what has happened on her watch.

“There is simply no excuse for the failings identified in this report. The auditor-general found cases where purchase orders were raised years after ACT Health paid the invoices. In other cases, the invoices lacked sufficient detail to know what service was provided.”

Mr Harris reported that: “In January this year ACT Health implemented additional administrative processes and controls, which ACT Health expects to mitigate the control deficiencies identified throughout this report. 

But the headache for ACT Health isn’t over, with Harris saying: “The Audit Office expects to conduct further performance audit activity in relation to the Digital Health Record during 2024-25.” 

Ms Castley recently reaffirmed calls for a royal commission into the ACT health system.