Digital Health Intelligence analyses PACS and RIS market changes

Digital Health Intelligence has released its latest report, analysing picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and radiology information system (RIS) market changes across English NHS acute trusts from September 2018 to May 2024.

The report, titled ‘PACS & RIS Contracts Wins and Migrations: Acute Trusts from 2018-2024’, follows on from the DHI 2018 PACS and RIS supplier market report, which focused on market changes across NHS acute trusts.

PACS

The 2018-2024 report shows that Sectra, the fourth largest PACS provider in 2018, has experienced the most growth over the past six years, becoming the leading PACS supplier with 30.4% of the market share, an increase of 15.8%.

The supplier’s market share is based on the total number of signed contracts over the reported period, including contract announcements where a new contract has been signed but an incumbent contract may still be in place.

The report shows that Philips, despite losing some contracts and market share, rose from sixth to the second largest PACS provider. GE Healthcare saw the greatest fall in market share during this period (down by 10.7%), going from the first to the fifth largest provider.

Sectra experienced no contract losses in the six year period analysed and secured the majority of its new contracts through regional procurements in the South East and North West regions. All of GE Healthcare’s 21 contract losses were due to clients migrating to Sectra, Agfa, Philips, and Change Healthcare.

RIS

The top two vendors in 2018, Soliton IT and Magentus, have maintained their positions as market leaders over the past six years. The report shows that Soliton IT in particular has shown significant growth (8.7% market share increase), solidifying its presence in the market.

Epic has also emerged as a key player in this period, securing the third largest market share of 5.2%. It indicates a growing preference for integrated solutions that offer RIS as part of a broader electronic patient record (EPR) suite.

Despite recording the highest number of contract losses, Magentus, which acquired Wellbeing Software in May 2023, maintained its market dominance with more contracts than all of its competitors combined.

The report concludes: “Looking forward, the future of PACS, RIS, and the broader imaging field is closely tied to technological advancements such as AI, which promise to enhance diagnostic accuracy and efficiency through automation.

“The adoption of cloud-based services and an emphasis on interoperability and standardisation will further drive demand for advanced diagnostic tools. Meeting this rising demand will require effective planning and significant investment.

“However, the pace of technological development and market dynamics will be influenced by funding availability and broader political developments, including upcoming elections and the financial commitments made to the NHS and imaging services.”

The latest PACS and RIS snapshot report is now live and available exclusively for Digital Health Intelligence subscribers here.