A new framework contract to supply IT software to GPs across NHSScotland was awarded on 1 February 2019 to EMIS Health (Egton Medical Information Systems Limited), Microtest Ltd and Vision (InPractice Systems Ltd).
The three successful suppliers will now develop their systems to meet the IT requirements of Scottish GPs and become accredited systems approved for use in Scotland. GPs will then be able to select the clinical IT system most appropriate for their needs from those which have been approved.
The framework contract will run for 60 months with an estimated contract value of £9.4m per annum, with a total value over seven years of £65 million.
The new contracts plan to replace current GP IT software in order to meet the evolving needs of General Practice. It aims to provide modern GP IT systems, support compliance, GP clusters and extended primary care multi-disciplinary teams to improve services to patients and reduce the workload of GPs.
The contracts are said to support the Scottish Government strategies related to the integration of primary, community and social care and facilitate increased standardisation of GP IT and integration into the wider eHealth infrastructure, whilst maintaining a choice of systems for GPs.
Colin Sinclair, Chief Executive, NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) 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.”
Cabinet Secretary Jeane Freeman welcomed the new contract. She said: “This is a substantial investment by the Scottish Government which will support GPs and other members of primary care teams to improve patient care. I welcome the fact that the new systems will allow people greater access to online services.”
“This is an emphatic commitment to mainstreaming the use of digital in our health and social care services, as set out in our Digital Health and Care Strategy. The new contract is the result of detailed discussion with health and social care professionals, and I look forward to seeing the planned improvements resulting from the new contract from 2020.”
