Secret information reveal fears over way forward for NHS IT large Atos

Secret paperwork present a scramble to safeguard vital public providers from the potential collapse of tech large Atos, which works with billions of kilos price of presidency contracts.

Recordsdata seen by the BBC present work has been underway with consultants since January, aiming to restrict “extreme implications” to important providers by lining up different IT suppliers.

The UK authorities outsources IT providers, together with for NHS information and incapacity advantages, to the French IT large’s UK arm, which admitted being greater than £3bn in debt in April and is now present process monetary restructuring.

The danger-assessments, first reported by i news, present the Cupboard Workplace and Ministry of Justice employed consultants PwC to overview the corporate, described as “in monetary misery” to “guarantee continuity of vital public providers”.

The BBC has seen the unredacted information, which have been mistakenly launched into the general public area by the Cupboard Workplace in Could, though unexpectedly changed with blanked-out pages.

The paperwork reveal PwC was employed to work on a threat evaluation challenge codenamed “Venture Aztec” in the beginning of the 12 months.

Venture Aztec is believed to seek advice from Atos, with Aztec Group understood to seek advice from its Paris-based HQ and Aztec UK understood to be its London-based subsidiary.

Atos shares tumbled in January because the group changed its chief amidst ongoing struggles with debt, missed monetary targets and reportedly appeared to open negotiations with collectors.

Final week, the French authorities supplied a £600m (750 Euro) bid to purchase the corporate’s most delicate companies and Atos accepted an eleventh-hour financial restructuring plan led by French investor David Layani.

Again in January, the Cupboard Workplace requested PwC to evaluate what was was prone to occur to authorities contracts if the broader firm went underneath, and whether or not restructuring choices being thought of by the French authorities would come with the monetary rescue of the UK arm of Atos.

In line with the doc, the federal government was looking for recommendation on “the probably impression on Aztec UK and the His Majesty’s Authorities (HMG) vital contracts within the occasion that any a part of the Aztec Group have been positioned into an insolvency course of…

“Assessment and touch upon any monetary assist supplied by the French Authorities and whether or not this might be ring-fenced from the UK group “Aztec UK”, which performs the providers underneath HMG contracts.”

Atos has invoiced the federal government for contracts price about £6bn since 2016 and at the moment has greater than 40 authorities contracts price almost £1bn.

The agency is concerned in IT programs on the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Justice and the Residence Workplace, together with:

• NHS well being information in hospitals
• Incapacity profit assessments for private independents funds (PIP)
• Information for the Scholar Loans Firm
• Tax refunds from His Majesty’s Income and Customs (HMRC)

Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s shadow paymaster common, mentioned the paperwork confirmed ministers wanted to concentrate on main points ” occurring in the actual world underneath their watch”.

He added: “The truth that a contract of such excessive industrial sensitivity was revealed accidentally is not only proof of breathtaking incompetence, it’s also a disturbing indication that the grip the federal government ought to have on this challenge is totally missing.

“After 14 years of Tory chaos, it’s time to show the web page and rebuild Britain with Labour.”

A spokesman for the Cupboard Workplace declined to call the agency identified inside Authorities as Aztec, however mentioned: “We undertake common critiques of suppliers and once in a while will undertake additional due diligence to make sure public providers may be maintained in quite a lot of eventualities.”

A spokesman for Atos mentioned he couldn’t touch upon this challenge.

On the broader challenge of the corporate’s monetary points, he mentioned: “Atos is at the moment present process a monetary restructuring and reached an settlement with a Consortium and its collectors which is able to create a steady monetary future globally and within the UK.

“The availability of providers to our clients has remained unaffected and we are going to proceed offering high-quality providers to the UK public sector because it has for over 30 years.”

PwC declined to remark.

The Conservative Social gathering has but to answer requests for remark.