An open framework for the future procurement of 
Digital Primary Care General Practice Information Technology (GP IT) solutions, valued up to £838 million, has been announced by NHS England.
The framework procurement process is expected to open next month, ahead of an anticipated launch of the framework in Q3 2027. It’s to span three lots, covering: foundation electronic patient record (EPR) solutions, clinical and operational support solutions, and research and development.
“The technology used in general practice falls into two groups: core digital capabilities needed to deliver care, including the recording, management and access of patient health information (‘foundation’ electronic patient record solutions); and broader digital capabilities which provide clinical and operational support solutions to complement, extend or enhance the core digital capabilities (sometimes referred to as ‘non-foundation’ solutions),” outlines NHSE.
Developing this into a lotted open framework will help to offer a simplified route to market for GPIT solutions, NHSE continues, enabling access to innovative solutions whilst ensuring value for money for the wider system.
Multiple suppliers can be appointed for each lot, and suppliers can also be appointed to multiple lots, NHSE states, with the framework to reopen at planned intervals throughout its term.
Under Lot 1 (foundation solutions), capabilities include appointments management, consultation management, patient information maintenance, prescribing, and referral management.
Lot 2 (clinical and operational support solutions) capabilities include advice and guidance, care plans, caseload management, custom workflows, clinical decision support, digital diagnostics, digital dictation, document management, population health management, video consultation, task management and remote patient monitoring, and others.
Lot 3 (research and development) will then offer successful suppliers across lots 1 and 2 the opportunity to be involved in the development of new capabilities and standards from discovery through to public beta activities.
Wider trend: Digital in primary care
NHS Midlands has completed an at-scale procurement of Heidi’s ambient voice technology (AVT) solution to cover all 1,239 GP practices and 15 acute and community trusts in the region. The region-wide procurement, led by The Dudley Group and Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals, will support all GPs to access the technology without needing to undertake a separate local process. Heidi, the selected supplier, is one of 23 suppliers listed on NHSE’s self-certified AVT registry, which was first published back in January.
The Department of Health and Social Care has commissioned a national programme of engagement for GPs and practice managers, to “genuinely influence” national policy with their views on how patient data is used across the NHS. Views and everyday experiences of GPs and practice managers are sought across three key areas: individual patient care and how health professionals can access or add to the GP patient record; how patient data is used for routine planning at regional and national levels; and how patient data is used for research into new treatments and medications.
Cheshire and Merseyside ICB has published its primary care action plan, setting out a roadmap for key digital programmes and priorities across the region. Rolling out digital triage and online consultations will continue and ambient voice technology will be piloted in selected practices as part of a system-wide trial, the ICB states. By the end of 2026/27, the board expects to have realised a “demonstrable reduction” in clinician admin burden, and an improvement in the quality and consistency of consultation notes. It also hopes to achieve associated improvements in clinician experience and patient-facing time.
