@AC
"Training about 1m people in how to use a new office package"
So they can NEVER move beyond Office 98 or whatever they have now? Office 2010 is a big change, a F/OSS version could be made to ape the current interface to cut the training budget.
"Rolling out a new office package across several hundred thousand devices"
So they'll NEVER upgrade?
"Supporting a new office package across a user base of 1m people"
So they'll NEVER upgrade?
"Rewriting every internal application that interfaces with Office"
So, once again, they'll NEVER upgrade?
"The loss of productivity through use of an inferior product that users are unfamiliar with"
And again, they'll NEVER upgrade?
"Would represent a SAVING for the NHS?"
I'll give you a choice. You can spend millions to upgrade to a product with the same brand name from the same vendor that will cost a massive reduction in productivity, increase your training bills and force you to buy entirely new kit; OR
You can spend millions on a F/OSS solution will cost a some reduction in productivity, potentially increase your training bills but you can keep your current kit. The first hit will be the worst. After the that, the traction gained from your investment will reduce future costs and the improvements you sponsor will be available to other departments, NGOs and society in general.
You clearly have not thought through your argument as everything you state as being anti-F/OSS counts double for MS Office. That does not mean there is no place for MS Office or MS back-end software, just that it is not the be-all and end-all of corporate IT.
Once last thing AC - grow a pair. Use your "real" login and reply to me directly.