Scotland and NI tender for patient management system

Tags: Mental Health Scotland

15 Apr 2008

Scotland and Northern Ireland have issued a joint tender to purchase a patient management system, with rich clinical functionality, worth between £30-120m over four years.

The tender in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) has been issued by Scotland's Common Services Agency, and is seeks a vendor to provide a complete integrated patient management system for health service organisations in the two countries.

It says the intention is to purchase a system that allows organisations in NHS Scotland and Northern Ireland “to meet both their current and their future evolving clinical and business needs in relation to management of patient information”.

The tender notice states: “This requirement is for delivery of an integrated Patient Management System which will include, but are not limited to, core patient administration system (including mental health), complex scheduling, clinical notes, order communications, accident and emergency, theatres, mental health clinical, maternity, clinical support tools, neonatal and the management of drugs including prescribing and administration.

The document adds: “These solutions will be delivered on a basis which will allow organisations calling off the framework to select those modules which they require. A range of associated services will also require to be delivered including commissioning, implementation, change related improvement activities, realisation of benefits and support services.”

The notice was posted in the OJEU on 8 April, on behalf of NHS Scotland and NHS Northern Ireland ans is open to vendors until 15 May 2008.

Possible pilot sites of the technology were named as NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Borders, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Grampian and NHS Lanarkshire – all Scottish health boards.

Following this, the system will be made available to all health service organisations in Scotland and health and social services bodies in Northern Ireland.

It is intended that a single supplier will win the tender, and will be responsible for delivering the complete system on a prime contractor basis. A minimum of three and a maximum of 10 vendors will be able to apply for the procurement under tender limitations.

Links

Tender

Readers Comments

The 4th LSP

17 Apr 08 13:12

So Scotland and NI are now effectively asking for an LSP (albeit without the complication of CfH involvement)? Interesting, too, that they are seeking _one_ system to cover such a vast array of sectors. Surely Lorenzo is the only one that might even claim to fit the bill (one day)? And even that doesn't cover social care, does it?

misunderstanding

18 Apr 08 14:48

Methinks an LSP is a misunderstanding. the Patient management system is but one of many national products in the overall eHealth portfolio of applications. We already have a national IT services provider in Scotland, Atos Alliance. So no, not an LSP in the English model. And definitely not related to CfH.

Lorenzo? For those keeping score ......

20 Apr 08 11:45

................. Lorenzo is already 5 years late on a 2 year project.

Social Services ...

nhstechie@btinternet.com

20 Apr 08 16:40

"that doesn't cover social care, does it?" No, but interfaces are planned for Release 4 - assuming common messaging standards have been agreed by then!

£30-120m over four years?

21 Apr 08 11:43

I wish I could run my household budget on these lines. Not necessarily the amount but the spread. Are they really so vague about what they want, or do they have no idea what is available?

scotland and ni

isabel.robertson@ntlworld.com

23 Apr 08 21:57

In my 15 yrs in NHS Scotland I have used 3 differrent systems. The best one is a software co called Silverlink. It covers all the differentials between the English and Scottish requirements(am not sure if NI has other differentials in reporting processes) Used their system from 1997 until was snatched away from us in preference to a PFI American contract. The current system we are using cannot in my view deliver the goods.

The people who decide which systems to install are not the people who use it nor do they understand the requirements to meet national guidelines.

(post edited by EHI)

Have they thought about clinical governance?

24 Apr 08 19:47

Have they considered what they want a Single Shared EPR to do, and how it would be organised and governed? ***EPRs which are not fit for purpose and/or usable are bad for your patients' health!!*** It's almost comforting - misery loves company - to see Scotland and Northern Ireland going down the same road as TB - in spite of the English experiences....