Anger at £2m plan to update computers

A Black Country health care trust

is to fork out £2 million upgrading its computer systems over the next four years.

Dudley Primary Care Trust, responsible for healthcare, says it will improve the way patients' data is stored and accessed.

But the plans have come under fire amid claims the money would be better spent on patient care. The trust, which covers 196 GP and dental surgeries, pharmacies and opticians, will spend £500,000 on IT improvements each year between 2009-10 and 2012-13.

Bosses say the cash will help to improve security and will also be spent on training health staff.

It news comes just weeks after the PCT revealed it needed to make savings of almost £30 million by 2013.

An action plan outlining ways the money can be clawed back is still being drawn up.

Councillor Malcolm Davis, who represents one of Dudley's deprived wards, St James's branded IT spending a "waste of money" saying it should be spent on patients. "If you have a computer system and it works then why spend millions changing it?

"If it's not broken, then don't fix it. This is all money that should be spent on caring for patients. It seems a waste of money."

PCT spokesman Rebecca Marsden said about the scheme: "We are continuing to invest in the development of our IT services to meet the requirements of the national Connecting for Health programme. This programme aims to improve the way patient data is stored and how it is accessed by clinicians and health professionals."