ISoft's success in securing the backing of its bankers proved positive for long-suffering shareholders this morning, with the shares up 15 per cent at midday. But uncertainties remain and the troubled healthcare IT group still has a long way to go before it is back on track.

Fears over the group's finances have dragged on the shares in recent months, amid fears that the group would fail to win the support of bankers, having changed its accounting policies to such an extent that it put itself in possible breach of its banking rules.

Today's agreement guarantees the group's finances for the next 15 months at least and gives the company room to breathe.

However its position with its key clients remains uncertain. Accenture and CSC, for which it is working on three of the five regional implementations of the NHS's IT modernisation programme, have both written to iSoft claiming the IT group breached its contracts. ISoft disputes the claims, thought to centre on the late delivery of iSoft's Lorenzo software, which is to be used in the later stages of the deployment.

CSC says it is "fully committed" to working with iSoft on its contract in the North West and West Midlands region. But Accenture, with which iSoft is working in the North East of England and East Midlands, on two contracts, remains tight-lipped about its commitment. The last it said on the matter was in March when it blamed iSoft for its expected losses on the programme and warned it was "actively exploring all options" with respect to its NHS contracts.

Today's statement shows welcome progress by the group, but investors need greater clarity on its key contracts.

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