Eight suppliers have been selected to develop GP clinical systems over the next 18 months under plans to increase innovation and choice in primary care IT.
It is part of the GP IT Future programme which aims to move towards open cloud-based systems that can be accessed from any device.
The selected suppliers, who were asked to bid for the tender in June, are EMIS Health, Eva Health Technologies, The Flame Lily Healthcare (CheckUp Health), MedicalDirector (TelstraHealth UK), John White PM, Medicus Health, Ouris Health and OX.DH (Oxford Digital Health).
They will form the Tech Innovation Framework which has a goal ‘to empower GPs and commissioners’ by giving them access to a wider range of digital products.
Suppliers are now tasked with developing an IT solution which can manage the patient record, appointments, consultations, referrals, and prescribing as well as resource management.
Once completed the clinical systems, which will have to first meet a set of standards, will be available for commissioners to procure from NHS Digital’s Buying Catalogue.
Helen Clifton, executive director for product delivery at NHS Digital, said: ‘We are putting patients at the heart of everything we do by ensuring primary care benefits from the very latest technology that gives GPs access to innovative digital products which make their jobs easier and enhances the care they provide.
‘We want to ensure that system suppliers produce safe, easy to use systems that enhance the user experience, are built to adapt at pace and meet accessibility standards.’
The Tech Innovation Framework is the third framework to launch under the Digital Care Services Buying Catalogue, along with GP IT Futures and the Digital First Online Consultation and Video Consultation framework.
It comes after PCNs can now recruit digital transformation leads ahead of the winter.
