£300m STP tech framework published after six month delay

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Part of framework published after a six month delay
78 organisations on framework include tech suppliers, commissioning support units and global consultancies
NHS England says it will protect providers from “current challenges around systems not talking to each other.”

A framework for giving suppliers access to an estimated £300m of new NHS spending on digital technology has been published after a six month delay and challenges from some participants.

However, a large chunk of the framework, covering clinical IT systems for hospitals and GPs, has been delayed again until next year.

A full list of suppliers, provided to HSJ, included 78 organisations from global consultancy and tech companies to NHS bodies.

It covers 10 different lots designed to help health regions to integrate and improve services using technology and external consultants.

These include support for analytics, for building regional shared patient records, “transformation and change support” and “patient empowerment and activation”.

Organisations represented across all the lots include IBM, Mid and Lancs CSU and North of England CSU.

Consultancy firms, including KPMG, Atos, and Centene, are all well represented on the framework.

NHS England has estimated that £300m of business will be done through the framework over four years.

The framework, now known as Health System Support, has been central to NHS England’s attempt to impose national standards and control over how local NHS organisations spend new central digital funding through to 2020-21.

HSJ revealed the existence of the framework, then known as the ACS and STP Innovation Framework, in November last year.

At the time, NHS England described it as a “one-stop shop” for health and care digital transformation, covering many flagship digital programmes, including the global digital exemplars.

The plan was to have a new system live by the start of 2018-19.

HSJ understands several suppliers raised concerns with the framework. One told HSJ last year that it would “squander precious resources and drive work in the wrong direction”.

In February this year, NHS England announced a “refresh”, extending the deadline for submissions and changing the name.

The document now published is different in scope from what was originally proposed, with clinical IT systems lots still being developed.

The framework is to be reviewed annually, with new suppliers added and poor performing ones removed.

An NHS England spokesman said: “This new framework will make it far simpler for NHS hospitals to introduce groundbreaking new technologies that can help their clinicians provide better care.

“Use of the framework is voluntary but it should reduce the cost and time of procurements and the standard contracts will ensure the NHS is protected from the current challenges around systems not talking to each other.”