Non-Implementation of an IS Strategy Within A UK Hospital: Observations From a Longitudinal Case Analysis

This paper presents an in-depth longitudinal case analysis of the non-implementation of an information technology (IT) strategy within a UK hospital. The analysis covered the period from 1991 to the present day. The contents of the IT strategy are described and compared to the proposed systems and schedule is contrasted with the actual IT systems delivered. Because the case deals with the national health arrangements within the UK, we begin with a brief description of information management (IM) within the National Health Service (NHS) to provide background for readers outside the UK. This discussion is extended to consider the specific context of IS development. It notes the experience of a single patient being transported through medical procedures to illustrate the relevant systems which are enabled. The case documents the ambitions and achievements of the managers involved and concludes with the observation that their decisions did actually generate added-value to the IS implementation process even though, in the circumstances, no recognized strategy emerged.