£2.3bn NHS IT overhaul gains momentum

The government has revealed details of progress on the first major contracts to be delivered as part of the £2.3bn NHS IT modernisation programme.

A new broadband NHS network, currently codenamed 'N3', that will satisfy the wide-area networking requirements of the NHS for the next 10 years, will be a key component of the IT overhaul, said the National Programme for IT in the NHS (NPfIT).

In a statement, the NPfIT said: "The increased speed of connection provided by the new network will mean more timely access to a greater range of applications and services that impact upon the delivery of diagnosis, treatment and care."

The initial target is to support the developing clinical and business requirements for healthcare professionals, but there is a longer-term goal to enable patient access to information as well.

Invitations to negotiate for a new Integrated Care Record Service (ICRS) will be issued soon after 22 regional and eight national service providers passed the pre-qualification stage of the procurement process.

Those service providers will have access to a 500-page confidential output-based specification document.

Progress has also been made on the procurement of an electronic appointments booking system and three companies have been selected for a national contract, said the NPfIT. It is expected the final contract will be awarded in September.

The e-booking system will operate across the NHS and is intended to give patients more choice and control over hospital appointments. GPs and other clinicians will be able to book patients directly into acute and other services, rather than waiting for an appointment letter.

The structure of how IT contracts under the major modernisation project will be awarded has also been clarified by the NPfIT.

Five local service providers (LSPs) will work with each strategic health authority (SHA) in their designated region to integrate, and where necessary replace, existing IT infrastructure into schemes under the national programme.

The first LSP contracts are expected to be awarded by the end of October this year.