Three suppliers chosen to supply GP IT software in Scotland

Three suppliers have been awarded a new framework contract to supply IT software to GPs across NHS Scotland.

EMIS Health (Egton Medical Information Systems), Microtest and Vision have been tasked with developing an IT Managed Services Framework to meet the needs of Scottish GPs.

Clinicians will then pick the system and supplier most suited to the needs of their practice.

The new systems will be designed to be more user friendly and intuitive, focused on offering improved functionality specified in consultation with GPs including; better online services for patients; improved monitoring and reporting; and remote and mobile access for primary care teams.

The  estimated contract value will be £9.4m annually, with a total value over seven years of £65m and is the total across the three successful suppliers.

Colin Sinclair, chief executive NHS National Services Scotland, said: “The new GP IT Managed Services Framework will offer significant benefits related to the reform of primary care and the services delivered to patients.

“It will provide modern, secure GP IT systems which will support the evolving models of care in Scotland.”

The contract award follows a procurement process, managed by NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) and overseen by the national GP IT Re-Provisioning Project Board.

EMIS Health currently provides clinical systems to more than half of the practices in Scotland.

Andy Thorburn, EMIS Group chief executive, said: “We are delighted to win a place on the new framework, which will mean we can continue to work with our GP customers to provide the state-of-the-art clinical software they need to help drive up standards of care for patients.”

Chris Netherton, managing director of Microtest, added: “NHSScotland has an inspirational forward-looking vision for a healthcare system which delivers seamless patient care across primary, community and social care, enabled by the very latest technology.

“We share their exciting vision for the future of healthcare and are pleased to have the opportunity to work with NHSScotland to make it a reality.”

Vision, which is part of Cegedim UK’s group of companies, also said it was pleased to be part of the framework.

Steve Bradley, Group Managing Director, Cegedim UK, said: “We are delighted that Vision has been recognised as one of the leading GP IT systems to facilitate the delivery of exemplary primary care across Scotland.

“As care models evolve and patients’ needs become ever more complex, it is imperative that the technology to support these also evolves.”

The news of the contract follows health secretary, Matt Hancock’s, pledge to shake up IT systems being used in GP practices under theGP IT Futures framework which aims to move away from having principal and subsidiary systems to one that supports modularity, with a view to making it easier for new market entrants to provide services to primary care.