Västra Götalandsregionen to Abandon Millennium IT System Amid Severe Technical Failures

Västra Götalandsregionen has decided not to reintroduce the Millennium journal system after an internal investigation highlighted significant challenges and serious technical deficiencies. Launched in November 2024 at Södra Älvsborgs sjukhus in Borås, the system was halted just three days later due to widespread technical flaws and strong resistance from healthcare staff. Reports detailed critical problems such as missing test results, incorrect medication prescriptions, and omissions in patient records, raising concerns about patient safety and workplace security.

Region director Ann-Charlotte Järnström emphasized that continuing with Millennium would jeopardize a safe and secure healthcare environment. The investigation recommended a new procurement approach focusing on a modular IT system capable of integrating multiple solutions to better serve the region’s healthcare needs. This new system may still involve some components of Millennium, which was developed by Oracle.

The internal report, prepared by a coordination group following extensive employee feedback, noted low functionality levels and inadequate training as key contributors to the system's failure. Implementation costs had already soared, with Västra Götalandsregionen’s expenditures projected at more than 5.5 billion SEK and Region Skåne’s costs nearing 3 billion SEK. Additional scrutiny continues as the Medical Products Agency investigates Millennium’s lack of proper certification.

The final investigation report will undergo review by various bodies before being presented to the regional council on December 2, where future IT strategy decisions for healthcare will be made. This development marks a pivotal moment in Sweden’s ongoing efforts to modernize healthcare IT systems while safeguarding patient care standards.