The Health department spent $142 million on e-health activities in the last financial year around one-third of a total $424m spent on health IT projects over the past 10 years.

Spending more than doubled during 2010-11, up from $60m a year earlier, reflecting a ramping up of work on the Gillard government’s $500m personally controlled e-health record program to meet its July 1 launch.

But documents released today show that while individuals may be able to register for a PCEHR from that date, national usage of the system is not planned in the foreseeable future.

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