The Department of Health and Social Care is developing a programme to explore the adult social care case management system market, launching an informal request for information to hear from suppliers on the future of case management systems.
DHSC highlights that Local Authorities and IT suppliers have noted challenges and opportunities they face in the adult social care sector, stating: “The case management system market was not functioning effectively; systems were not performing as expected, LAs were finding procurement excessively difficult, and suppliers were facing major cost pressures.”
DHSC notes an aim to “set out clear processes that govern priority use cases and promote greater standardisation and performance across the market”, with the programme to focus on finalising a foundational specification and identifying opportunities to enable the market to “sustainably innovate and produce efficient and effective systems that best serve the needs of people requiring care”.
A partner, according to the RFI, is sought to develop a shortlist of standards and associated implementation requirements, with the final deliverable to be a “long-term strategy for delivering priority standards to the CMS market validated through the development of an initial pilot standard”.
The RFI așks suppliers for input on their capabilities, experience, and cost considerations, with a deadline for responses set at 24 October, 2024.
The DHSC is also looking at options for developing the next phase of the specification, which will focus on core procurement topics such as continuous improvement, a core data standard for “consistently and accurately” inputting key patient information, the ability for CMSs to connect to external systems, and options for supporting “greater choice and control” when accessing social care.
To find out more about the opportunity, or to read the RFI in full, please click here.
The latest opportunities in health and care
HTN has also reported on a number of upcoming opportunities for suppliers in the past month, including an opportunity for early engagement from South Central Ambulance Service for an electronic medicines tracking system, to help eliminate paper-based processes, reduce corporate risk, generate cost savings and enhance efficiency.
Barts Health NHS Trust also published a prior information notice highlighting plans to procure a site-wide, real-time system for the monitoring of vital signs at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, offering “comprehensive multi-parameter monitoring” which should include ECG; multiple invasive pressures; non-invasive blood pressure; plethysmography; expired gas analysis; cardiac output; neuromuscular blockade; depth of anaesthesia; and tissue saturations.
In the South West, an early engagement notice has been issued for the region’s digital neighbourhoods programme, looking to carry out an “evaluation piece”, asking interested suppliers to complete a questionnaire to help “inform the specification for any potential future opportunity”. The digital neighbourhoods programme is aimed at enhancing patient and staff experience by “empowering integrated neighbourhood teams with the best use of digital technology and data”, enabling proactive care and preventing unplanned healthcare events.
Elsewhere, North London Mental Health Partnership shared plans to procure a digital local risk management and incident reporting system; whilst in Wales, Digital Health and Care Wales shared plans to procure a new commercial, off-the-shelf digital maternity solution for NHS Wales, with the functionality to support a shared maternity record and notes and supported by a service management regime.
Spotlight on digital development across the NHS
In just the last few days, HTN has covered a number of developments around digital and data from across the NHS.
In Liverpool, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s heart failure virtual ward has introduced remote monitoring with the KiActiv digital service, with the aim of improving recovery rates for patients experiencing serious cardiac conditions.
NHS South West London ICB’s latest board meeting for September highlighted its “significant work” around bringing digital, workforce and estates together under a single Infrastructure Strategy, and shares updates on the finalised SWL Urgent and Emergency Care Winter Plan for 2024/25, the ICB’s plan for urgent and emergency care, and the Board Assurance Framework.
Elsewhere, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust announced its success in revalidating against the new HIMSS EMRAM Stage 7 standard, which utilises “more stringent criteria” to assess digital adoption and care quality across a variety of clinical settings.
For more of the latest news from HTN, please click here.
