Eight suppliers have successfully bid to join a new framework designed to increase innovation and choice in the primary care IT market.
The aims to empower GPs and commissioners by giving them access to a wider range of digital products, enabling them to deliver better care.
The framework will be a blueprint for introducing the next generation of standards for IT systems, with prospective suppliers required to deliver six core functions in general practice - patient information maintenance, appointments management, recording consultations, prescribing, referral management and resource management.
An invitation to tender was launched in June and now the eight successful suppliers have been named as:
- EMIS Health
- Eva Health Technologies
- The Flame Lily Healthcare (CheckUp Health)
- MedicalDirector (TelstraHealth UK)
- John White PM
- Medicus Health
- Ouris Health
- OX.DH (Oxford Digital Health)
They will develop new GP clinical systems in line with the framework over the next 18 months. The solutions will be available for commissioners to procure from NHS Digital's once they meet minimum compliance standards on the .
Helen Clifton, Executive Director for Product Delivery at NHS Digital, yesterday said:
This is a key part of the next stage of the GP IT Futures programme, which aims to move towards open, cloud-based systems which can be accessed over the internet on any device.
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.
The allows health and care organisations to find, compare and order assured tools and solutions from multiple frameworks. This enables primary care providers to use approved suppliers that have been assured against a common set of standards.
- Primary care organisations are being invited to become early adopters of the new GP core clinical systems, available through the Tech Innovation Framework. Support and funding is available to discover and deploy new solutions - more details are .
Notes for Editors
- For more information on the Tech Innovation Framework, visit
- provides a shop window to view and procure clinical information technology systems from the Digital Care Services frameworks. The Buying Catalogue allows health and care organisations to find, compare and order systems from multiple frameworks, and provides an efficient, digital process to submit and manage orders. Users can share feedback on the Buying Catalogue by .