It is understood that the former telecoms monopoly — which has already had to pay £4.5 million to the NHS for missing a deadline on one contract — is preparing to dump GE Healthcare, its clinical software supplier in the London area, in favour of Cerner, a US rival. BT and Cerner are understood to be “haggling over details”, with an announcement expected as early as next week. However, no formal contract has yet been signed, sources familiar with the project said yesterday.

The proposed switch will trigger fears of further delays to the NHS IT project, which is already significantly behind schedule in some areas. Richard Bacon, a member of the Commons Public Accounts Select Committee, has already asked Patricia Hewitt, the Health Secretary, to forbid BT from switching suppliers without more careful consideration.

BT won three multimillion-pound deals with the NHS, as part of the Government’s £6.2 billion programme to modernise its IT infrastructure. The work reflects BT’s strategy to become a leading player in IT services, as it seeks to reduce its dependence on its declining phone calls business.

BT declined to comment on the planned switch but it said in a statement that it “refutes any suggestions of delays in the delivery of its contributions to the national IT programme for the NHS”.

GE Healthcare declined to comment on the matter.

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