In previous quarterly financial presentations to investors, CSC had instead insisted that it was "on track" to sign an MoU. But since then the Cabinet Office has , by appointing Katie Davis, an executive director at the its Efficiency and Reform Group, as interim health chief information officer.

Tola Sargeant, director at analyst house , said CSC "isn't quite as confident of a positive outcome as it was a few months ago - and rightly so".