York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is looking to trial the use of a digital platform as an alternative to face-to-face services, for the treatment of MSK patients.
The trust is aiming to procure a digital solution to support health management for patients with spinal and peripheral MSK conditions, and provide educational tools and a tailored exercise programme. Also, the aim is for the tool to allow for enquiries through UK-based HCPC-registered physiotherapists, offer health information to patients on what to do if they are deteriorating or not improving, and collect and share data with the trust on the utilisation of the platform.
The platform should be accessible on a phone, laptop, tablet, PC and “all major operating systems”, according to the trust, while the provider “must be CQC registered for the relevant services”. A six-month duration has been set for the pilot scheme, with the option to extend up to one year at a value of £37,500 for the full term. Interested suppliers are encouraged to submit an application by 18:00 on the 19 September 2025, prior to the estimated start date in December.
Last year, York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals and Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, announced their preferred supplier for their integrated EPR systems, with Nervecentre to deploy its cloud-native platform for both trusts.
Digital pilots in health and care: the wider trend
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust has been trialling a frailty virtual care programme, utilising tech to remotely monitor patients with long-term conditions in their own homes with the hopes of identifying early warning signs to prevent the need for more intensive support.
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust are taking part in a wider NHS study, trialling the use of AI scanners to help reduce hospital readmissions for people with heart failure. Developed by the medical technology manufacturer, Heartfelt Technologies, the scanner is an at-home device that takes “thousands of detailed images” of patients as they get in and out of bed, helping to detect the build-up of fluid in their legs, a known cause of swelling called oedema.
Great Ormond Street Hospital recently shared results of a “landmark study” of AI-scribe technology, evaluating the impact of the TORTUS tool across nine London NHS sites. Key findings showed that clinicians spent “nearly a quarter” more time directly with patients, with the results reportedly already being used to shape national policy and inform NHSE guidance on AI-enabled scribing.
In June, NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership Procurement Services opened a market engagement for a digital platform that can support self management and remote monitoring. They were looking for a solution that could provide real-time test results, educational materials and two-way messaging for clinicians and patients.
