NHS Scotland Sets Out To Replace 25-Year-Old Software

NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) is set to replace aging legacy mainframe applications which underpin a number of key systems used within the Scottish healthcare system.

According to a contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), the old software has served NHS Scotland “exceptionally well” for 25 years but is now becoming too expensive to maintain.

It claims that the existing applications are not effective in supporting a modern service dependent on fast electronic communications and paper light ways of working.

The document says that the new contract will be divided into two lots, Community Health Index and Scottish Child Public Health and Wellbeing System.

Prospective suppliers are invited to bid for either one or both lots as NSS is willing to consider a range of solutions, including service models, proposed by bidders.

“NSS requires reliable, secure, flexible solutions that will support the NHS in Scotland in delivering the highest standards of healthcare to the people of Scotland in a cost effective and efficient manner,” the tender document claims.

“NSS will separately procure an implementation partner to facilitate the implementation and integration of the solutions with each other and other NHS solutions and services.

“This procurement will be conducted once the solutions are sufficiently established to enable the role of the implementation partner to be scoped,” it adds.

Brand New Systems

The Community Health Index Lot One will replace NHS Scotland’s Community Health Index System with a modern Enterprise Master Patient Index (eMPI) solution and will include software, hardware, communications services, hosting and support.

Meanwhile Lot Two will replace NHS Scotland’s Child Health Screening Programme and Scottish Immunisation and Recall System with a modern solution that uses recognised international healthcare standards.

The contract is set to be worth between £8m-£32m with a duration of ten years.

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