The Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) has awarded Accenture a new $161.6 million contract to continue operating the My Health Record platform, extending the consultancy’s involvement in the project through 2029. This deal raises Accenture’s total earnings from the platform to over $1 billion since its inception, despite previous criticism of the agency’s procurement practices.
My Health Record, established in 2012, is a centralized digital repository containing health information for more than 25 million Australians. Accenture initially secured a two-year contract valued at $47 million to manage the platform’s core IT infrastructure. However, successive contract extensions—some awarded without competitive bidding—have increased the overall expenditure to $646 million. A later three-year contract signed in 2022 initially valued at $100.2 million was expanded to $141.8 million. Earlier this year, the company received an additional $46.7 million topping up an interim contract after ADHA failed to appoint a replacement provider by the April deadline.
The latest contract, announced Tuesday, includes an option to extend service until 2032. The ADHA has defended its decision, stating that the procurement process involved a comprehensive evaluation of technical, commercial, legal, and risk factors, supported by independent probity advisors. An agency spokesperson emphasized that incumbency did not influence the outcome, asserting the contract was awarded because Accenture presented the best value for money. The spokesperson also noted that the agency would maintain oversight through regular governance and performance monitoring to ensure contractual compliance.
The contract award comes in the wake of a critical 2024 report from the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO), which identified significant deficiencies in the ADHA’s previous procurement procedures related to My Health Record. The audit detailed issues such as inadequate planning and non-compliance with government contracting rules. Deputy Auditor-General Rona Mellor warned that the agency had been effectively “captured” by the vendor, urging improved strategic planning ahead of future procurement needs.
Accenture has faced scrutiny in other public sector projects, notably the Bureau of Meteorology’s website redevelopment in 2025. That undertaking ballooned to $96.5 million, exceeding its initial budget by roughly 23 times.
As the My Health Record platform continues to evolve, ADHA’s management of its contracts and procurement policies remain under close observation amid calls for greater transparency and accountability in government technology spending.