SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                                        
                            Washington,  D.C.  20549

                                  FORM 8-K/A
                                AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                 CURRENT REPORT
     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
                                        
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):   October 1, 1998
                                                   ----------------

 
                         Commission File No.  001-12392
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                           NATIONAL DATA CORPORATION
                           -------------------------
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

           DELAWARE                                             58-0977458
- --------------------------------                          --------------------
 (State or other jurisdiction of                             (I.R.S. Employer
  incorporation or organization)                            Identification No.)

  National Data Plaza, Atlanta, Georgia                       30329-2010
- ----------------------------------------                  --------------------
(Address of principal executive offices)                       (Zip Code)

     Registrant's telephone number, including area code 404-728-2000
                                                        ------------

                                      NONE
        ---------------------------------------------------------------
            (Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if
                            changed since last year)

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Item 5.  Other Events
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     On October 1, 1998, National Data Corporation ("the Company") announced
that its Board of Directors had authorized a plan to purchase up to an
additional 500,000 shares of the company's common stock. This is in addition to
the plan announced December 22, 1997, when the company said that it would
repurchase up to 200,000 shares.

     Subject to availability at prices the company deems appropriate, the
repurchases may be made from time-to-time in the open market. The shares will be
used to fund the company's internal requirements under various stock plans such
as stock option, employee stock purchase, restricted stock and employee savings
plans.

     Robert A. Yellowlees, NDC's chairman and CEO, remarked that "In light of
the current price level of NDC stock,  we believe that this program represents
an attractive investment."

     National Data Corporation (NYSE:NDC) is a leading provider of health
information services and electronic commerce solutions that add value to its
customers' operations.

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                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.



                                                NATIONAL DATA CORPORATION
                                                -------------------------
                                                      (Registrant)


Date:   October 1, 1998        By:     /s/ E. Michael Ingram
        ---------------                ---------------------
                                       E. Michael Ingram
                                       General Counsel and Secretary

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