BILLIONS being spent on hi-tech systems for the health service may be being wasted, a Blairite think-tank warned today.

The potential benefits of schemes like electronic patient records are huge, the Institute for Public Policy research said.

But there is little evidence that those benefits are being realised, according to the IPPR report.

And that threatens public support for "e-Health" projects that will cost é2 billion over the next two years, the report said.

Health chiefs must now improve the way the schemes are planned and evaluated, according to author Jamie Bend.

Mr Bend examined a number of large pilot projects including electronic patient records and electronic appointment booking systems.

Patient records trials failed to show they would mean more flexible services, cost savings or improvements in treatment.

And the appointments system did not appear to give patients greater choice over where, when and by whom they are treated.

Benefits

Mr Bend said "The potential benefits of ICT use in the health service could be huge and make a real impact on the direct experience of patients and health professionals.

"This potential needs to be demonstrated in practice.

"Unless it's proven that things like electronic health records work, it will remain difficult to justify to doctors, nurses and patients existing and additional spending on ICT.

"Few of the problems with evaluation are new, yet they continue to occur and there is a perception that ICT projects have failed.

"This is not a reason to reject the use of ICT but to redouble efforts to use it effectively."

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