Digital Health and Care Wales has opened an opportunity seeking a cloud-based electronic referral solution for eye care with a total value of £197,000.
The procurement follows evidence given to the Health and Social Care Committee in June about the importance of the digital eye care programme electronic referral service, with the cabinet secretary for health and social care making a commitment that the programme would be implemented “on an urgent basis” in 2026.
According to that same evidence, the digital eyecare programme was launched in 2020 “to digitise the referral process from primary care to secondary care ophthalmology settings” and introduce an EPR. Now, a new programme board has been established and the roll out of the digital platform is set to be completed by March 2026, supporting the sharing of digital imaging and clinical shared care.
“Funding to support health boards to roll out the open eye platform and prepare for electronic referral has been identified as part of the Digital Programme Investment Fund for 2025-26,” it states.
Funding has been re-prioritised to enable a practical solution for ERS to be implemented within this timescale, with DHCW adding: “Whilst the timescales for delivery are tight, an immediate solution has been prioritised for patient safety.”
Estimated contract dates are given as 13 October, 2025 – 12 April, 2027, with tenders to be submitted by 8 August at 12pm. Weighting is set at 70 percent for the technical solution, 10 percent for social value contribution, and 20 percent for commercial.
Digital health and care in Wales
Wales has launched a £120 million package to fund the reduction of long wait times and the size of waiting lists in the NHS by 200,000, according to an announcement made by health secretary, Jeremy Miles. “Tackling waiting times is our number one priority,” the health secretary said, having outlined a new care recovery plan for the region.
The Welsh Government has published a prior information notice ahead of a procurement for a supplier who can deliver on the Digital Inclusion Wales contract, in an effort to reduce barriers to access to digital devices and online services. The contract will reportedly focus on delivering a national bilingual programme of activity, supporting digital inclusion across the region. According to the notice, this will be achieved by offering advice and support, mapping digital inclusion throughout Wales and creating digital inclusion resources.
NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership Procurement Services has opened a market engagement for a digital platform that can support a self-management and remote monitoring. The solution should be able to provide real-time test results, educational materials and two-way messaging for clinicians and patients.
