Huge overhaul of NHS IT as Jeremy Hunt unveils £6bn package to upgrade ‘outdated’ systems and tackle record waiting lists, as Chancellor pays moving tribute to his late brother who would have been “delighted” with the plan.

The NHS will receive an extra £3.5bn in its budget to boost outdated IT systems, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced.

Unveiled as part of today’s Budget, Hunt said the move will unlock £35bn in efficiency gains in the health service.

He claimed it would stop NHS staff from wasting time filling out forms and instead increase the number of appointments to tackle the NHS backlog.

This included investments to help doctors interpret scans to detect diseases such as cancer more quickly, speeding up diagnosis.

Hunt said his brother, who he recently lost to the disease, would have welcomed the move.

The NHS will also receive an additional £2.45bn of additional funding as part of the Budget to help tackle the waiting list, bringing the total announced investment to almost £6bn.

Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of the NHS, welcomed the increase in health service budgets.

‘Today’s announcement shows that the Government continues to support the NHS and the £2.45 billion of additional funding next year ensures we have the support we need to continue making progress on our key priorities for patients.

‘The adoption of the latest technology is already having an impact on the way we provide services to patients, including filling prescriptions on the NHS app and virtual wards allowing people to recover at home.

“The significant capital investment of £3.4bn to fund new technology means the NHS can now commit to achieving 2 per cent annual productivity growth in the final two years of the next Parliament, unlocking tens of thousands of millions of savings”.