Three suppliers win London EPR tender

Cerner, InterSystems and Epic have been shortlisted for a patient administration system and electronic patient record framework contract covering nine London trusts.

A tender, worth between £250m and £400m, was placed in February last year by nine trusts that were running Cerner Millennium or planned to go live with the system under the National Programme for IT in the NHS.

Eighteen organisations expressed an interest in the massive tender that was divided into three lots; a PAS/EPR system, a clinical portal and hosting services.

EHI understands that Cerner, InterSystems and Epic have been named as the successful companies to bid for the PAS/EPR lot, rated in that order.

Plans were for the framework contract to be signed this Spring so trusts could select their suppliers and award call-off contracts during the second half of 2013.

This would allow plenty of time to plan, manage and deliver any transition that may be required in time for the end of NPfIT contracts in 2015.

The trusts involved are: Barts and the London; Croydon Healthcare; Imperial College Healthcare; Kingston Healthcare; Newham University Hospital; Royal Free Hampstead; South London Healthcare; St George’s Healthcare; and Whipps Cross University Hospital.

Newham merged with Whipps Cross and Barts and the London in April last year to form Barts Health NHS Trust.

A spokesperson for the group said contracts had not yet been awarded so the trusts were not in a position to comment. Cerner and InterSystems also declined to comment.

However, senior vice president and managing director of Cerner Global Consulting Matthew Swindells told eHealth Insider last February that he expected most of the trusts to stick with Millennium.

Those trusts that are not already using the system have confirmed plans to deploy it this year.

South London Healthcare is extending its use of Millennium to Queen Elizabeth Hospital next month before management of the hospital moves to Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust, when South London is dissolved.

Imperial College Healthcare and Croydon Health Services have also confirmed plans to go live with the EPR this year.