The £12bn IT upgrade of the NHS is facing more problems with fears that Accenture, the consulting group and the biggest contractor on the scheme, may resign from the project.

The program is already £6bn over budget and more than two years behind schedule.
According to reports, Accenture is in negotiations with the authorities in a bid to ditch its £2bn contract.

However it is at loggerheads with the government agency overseeing the project who maintain the company is liable for a £1bn penalty if it walks away.

According to The Guardian, Accenture says the sum should be reduced to take account of the fact that the contract has changed in nature since it clinched the deal three years ago.