Cerner’s UK boss predicts strong growth

The head of Cerner in the UK and Ireland expects the company to win a major new NHS business in the coming 18-months.

In an exclusive interview with eHealth Insider, Alan Fowles predicted that Cerner will win “significantly more than 10 deals”, with up to three being major trust implementations.

Fowles said he expected the company to win new business directly with NHS clients and through the ASCC acute procurement in the South of England.

He also predicted that it would also pick up contracts in the North Midlands and East of England, where CSC has been struggling to implement iSoft’s Lorenzo software under the National Programme for IT in the NHS, but some foundation trusts have made their own Millennium procurements.

Despite the severe financial constraints faced by trusts, which are being asked to make £20 billion efficiency savings over four years, he says there is “a real need in the market”, with pent up demand for both incremental developments and big bang go-lives.

“We’re expecting good growth, with the hope of up to three significant deals for us,” said Fowles on new direct deals with NHS trusts.

However, he notes that while 2011 is likely to be a year in which many more trusts begin and run procurements, lengthy procurement cycles mean that few are likely to reach contract award by the end of the calendar year.

More likely to occur in 2011 is the ASCC acute framework procurement in the South. Fowles says he is “optimistic about winning new business through ASCC, with the probability being we will pick up business in the applications, hosting and deployment categories.”

He added that it was also possible to envisage Cerner implementing product on behalf of third party suppliers. “I think we bring our experience of implementing systems in the NHS that could be used on behalf of other suppliers.”

Asked about pricing, Fowles sought to counter the notion that Cerner always comes with Rolls Royce pricing. “To the perception we are at a higher price I would say that I anticipate we will be competitive.”

Read: Jon Hoeksma’s interview with Alan Fowles in the Insight section.