The big news this week is the launch of what eHealth Insider believes to be the biggest NHS IT procurement outside the National Programme for IT in the NHS. Nine acute trusts in London have banded together to launch a £250m-£400m procurement for patient administration and electronic patient record systems, a clinical portal and hosting services.

The EHI Intelligence NHS Trust Database shows that many of these trusts received Cerner Millennium as part of the national programme. So the London group can be applauded for identifying the end of LPfIT's contracts in 2015 and setting an ambitious deadline to get new contracts in place a full year before that.

Other trusts in the procurement look like good candidates to become Cerner Millennium sites as a result of trust mergers or deployments in their healthcare community. But this raises an obvious question: can the PAS/EPR element of the tender be delivered by any company other than Cerner? And: how will "best value" be demonstrated?

The other bits of the tender are also interesting. Is there space for a new portal supplier? And which companies stand to lose and win on the hosting services part of the deal? Be bold. Suppliers are you bidding for individual lots or talking to others to have a crack at the whole thing? We'd love to know.

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Massive London PAS and EPR tender issued

A tender notice has been issued for a patient administration system and electronic patient record system for nine London trusts.

London trusts set ambitious EPR deadline

The nine London trusts undertaking a massive collaborative tender for patient administration systems and electronic patient record systems expect to have a new contract in place by spring next year

HSS parent firm placed in administration

The owner of the firm behind the widely-used HSS radiology information system and EuroKing maternity system has been placed in administration.

Two trusts suspend Theriak trials

Two NHS pilot sites for a new e-prescribing system have had to suspend their trials because Theriak ehf, the Icelandic company behind the software, has been placed in administration.

Royal Liverpool live with CSC portal

Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust has gone live with its clinical portal.

Dudley takes Soarian to A&E

Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust has extended its use of Soarian Clinicials to the emergency department at Russells Hall Hospital.

RealTime takes on risk of reducing stays

RealTime Health and Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have signed a risk-sharing contract for the company's patient flow system.

Mobile health, an interview with Declan Grogan

EHealth Insider's managing editor Lyn Whitfield sits down to talk about mobile health with Declan Grogan, managing director of NDL.