Consulting and digital services company, Infosys has been awarded a contract valued at £1.2 billion, to deliver an enhanced workforce management solution, replacing the existing electronic staff record system.
The 15-year contract was awarded by NHS Business Services Authority to support the development of a future NHS workforce solution in line with the UK government’s 10-year health plan. The solution will support the entire employee lifecycle, from recruitment and onboarding to career development, workforce management, payroll and retirement.
Infosys has shared plans to use AI tools in order to help “streamline workforce planning and enable data-driven decision-making, creating a seamless and user-friendly experience for the NHS staff”. According to the company, the solution will also integrate with other systems and “empower the NHS workforce to manage their personal information with ease, saving them valuable time”.
NHSBSA chief executive officer, Michael Brodie, said: “Delivering the future NHS workforce solution is a critical step in supporting the NHS workforce ambitions and commitments in the 10-year health plan to create a NHS fit for the future. The future solution will go far beyond replacing ESR – it provides an opportunity for the NHS to save significant amounts of money, which can be put back into patient care to help people live longer, healthier lives.
“Working with Infosys, we’re creating a modern, data-driven solution that will help the NHS better attract, retain and support its people.”
Commenting on the new contract, Salil Parekh, chief executive officer & managing director of Infosys, added: “We are honoured to be chosen by the NHSBSA to deliver generational change for employees of the NHS in England and Wales through the Future Workforce Solution. With our extensive experience in delivering digital transformation and organisational change for global entities, combined with elements of our AI offering – Infosys Topaz, we will deliver a platform that not only drives efficiency today but empowers the NHS to elevate its invaluable work into the future.”
Wider trend: Investments across healthcare
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust recently entered into a contract worth over £300k with Kinseed Limited for an end-to-end patient care management solution for intensive care units. The contract will run until March 2028, supplying a digital EPR application said to allow healthcare professionals to “capture, manage and monitor patient administrative and clinical status during referral and retrieval process for intensive care units”.
43 neighbourhood health services have been announced as part of wave one sites, supported with £10 million in funding. The programme has an initial focus on long-term conditions, the government shared, with the expectation to expand to more services over the course of the next year. The aim is to bring health and care services such as diagnostics, mental health, outpatients, post-op, rehab, nursing, and social care closer to home, where services target the lowest life expectancies and longest waits to help tackle health inequalities.
NHS England recently announced plans to re-procure its national digital weight management programme, with a value of up to £42 million across three service levels. The service, aimed at supporting adults living with obesity, will provide digital support for self-management, online coaching, and targeted support offerings to reach those who “do not routinely engage with weight management programmes”.
