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The Department of Health’s new deal with Microsoft is saving hundreds of pounds for NHS staff who want to use Microsoft on their home computers.

Over 26,000 staff in hospitals and practices have now taken advantage of a clause in the NHS contract with Microsoft which means anyone who works in the health service can get Microsoft software almost free for home use. 

The Microsoft deal was renegotiated by the National Programme for IT in November (2004) and the home use agreement is part of Microsoft’s ‘software assurance’ package that it now offers to all organisations signing up to a volume licensing program.

Neil Jordan, head of healthcare for Microsoft in the UK, says the home use offer became available in the last few months of the previous Microsoft deal but has only begun to receive more widespread publicity with the announcement in November of the new enterprise agreement agreed with the department.

Just under 5000 NHS staff signed up under the old agreement but 26,272 licenses had been taken up by staff under the new deal by January 2005.

Jordan says: "It is a good news story and word is now getting out about it. It means that when a customer like the NHS makes a commitment to Microsoft we can give something back to the individuals in that organisation. It’s also good for the NHS if people are using PCs at home and using the same software that they use at work."

Staff can choose either Microsoft Office Professional 2003 or Office XP.  Office 2003 Professional has a recommended retail price of £459 and includes Word, Access, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint. Office XP has a recommended retail price of £375 and also includes Microsoft’s web page design program, FrontPage. 

The packages are available free to all NHS staff including GPs and practice staff who only need pay a packaging and shipping fee of £17. Jordan estimates that at least 15% of the licences issued so far have been taken up by GPs.

Interested GPs need to contact their PCT IT department to find out if it is registered for the deal with Microsoft. If your PCT is not registered GPs can contact Microsoft direct (see below for contact details). Hospital staff should contact their IT department.

He says: "I was quite pleasantly surprised to be offered Microsoft Office for use at home for £17.  I deal with work emails at home and it’s useful to have the latest version available there. Friends who do not work in the NHS are quite envious."

Dr Gledhill says he heard about the deal from a colleague about nine months ago. His PCT was not registered to take part in the offer but he was able to get a copy by registering his practice as an NHS organisation.

The new nine-year agreement with Microsoft was announced in November. The Department of Health says it will save the NHS more than £330m. The agreement allows the NHS to use up to 900,000 licences, compared to 500,000 under the old deal, and has break points at three year intervals to allow for renegotiation if there are unpredicted price or product changes in the marketplace. As part of the deal Microsoft has also committed to spend £40m developing an NHS specific user interface so that all computers in the NHS have a consistent look and feel.

Lynn Grimes, acting director of business strategy and performance for the NHS Information Authority, says training in IT skills is crucial for all NHS staff and will be essential for staff to take advantage of the new IT and information systems being implemented in the NHS.

She adds: "The availability of low cost home licences for NHS staff is part of the NHS enterprise agreement with Microsoft. This is provided at no additional cost to the NHS and offers NHS staff a great opportunity to make use of the software products they use at work.

For more information email nhsea@microsoft.com or see the Microsoft website.