Waikato DHB shows how to flush money down the drain
10 APRIL 2018
The cancellation of Waikato DHB's ‘SmartHealth’ app and online service proves how easily public agencies can waste taxpayer money on IT
white elephants, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union.
Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Louis Houlbrooke says, “The new Government says DHBs are desperate for funding, but it’s hard to have
sympathy when they waste taxpayer money like this.”
“Only about 2.5% of the DHB’s population signed up for the app, and the $18.8 million cost worked out at over $7,000 per
doctor’s consultation. The DHB have effectively flushed money down the drain.”
“We’ve seen government departments waste money on unpopular apps before, but never on this scale. Waikato DHB’s disastrous expenditure should be a warning to other agencies keen on
high-tech services – there’s now an international industry based on duping bureaucrats into spending mega-bucks on
technology they don’t understand.”
“Apps might sound hip and modern, but when it comes to service delivery, the urge to innovate shouldn’t trump basic
value for money.”
ENDS