First five GPSoC suppliers signed

The eight suppliers that are to be awarded contracts under the GP Systems of Choice (GP Soc) framework contract have been announced by NHS Connecting for Health

Contracts have so far been signed with five of the suppliers - EMIS, InPractice Systems, Microtest, Seetec and Healthy Software – with the remaining three expected to be signed over the next month.

Contracts have yet to be signed with the two GP system suppliers offered through CfH - CSC Computer Sciences Ltd (providing TPP’s SystmOne), iSoft Plc - and dark horse new entrant Waveform Solutions Ltd.

The GPSoC initiative is backed by £80m of Connecting for Health funding, the majority of which is earmarked for GP IT systems in the current year.

CfH says the framework "will provide practices with a choice of upgraded GP clinical systems from NPfIT alongside the systems offered by the Local Service Providers".

The long-running GPSoC procurement officially began after an advert was placed in the Official Journal of the European Union in February 2007. However the long-delayed procurement, designed to deliver the choice of systems first promised in the 2004 GP general medical services (nGMS) contract.

The award of contracts should finally provide practices with a choice of accredited clinical systems and belatedly bring the existing GP clinical system suppliers – used by the vast majority of practices - into the National Programme.

Sean Riddell, Healthcare Managing Director of EMIS, said: "This is excellent news for healthcare IT as choice promotes competition, which ultimately drives innovation."

He told EHI primary Care: "Now practices need to talk to their PCT and say they want to use the GPSoC contractual framework, as the contract will be between the supplier and PCT." Riddell said he believed the use of the new framework contract should begin this quarter.

CFH says it will all suppliers, whether on the GPSoC framework or as an LSP, deliver applications into general practice to ensure that patient care benefits can be realised quickly and efficiently.

Links

Details of GPsoC