The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) has signed Kainos Software to work on the build and beta phases of its project to digitise the NHS health check.
They have agreed on a contract valued at up to £9.4 million to run until March of next year.
DHSC announced the plan for a digital version of the health check in the summer of last year, identifying a focus on cardiovascular diseases.
Its tender notice stated that not enough people have been completing the health checks and that this is undermining efforts to reduce mortality and morbidity from a number of conditions. The digital service will be designed to help local authorities increase the take-up, running alongside face-to-face checks.
“The digital NHS health check is not intended to replace the in-person check,” the notice stated. “Instead, it will strengthen local NHS health check delivery activity by offering a complimentary alternative to local in-person provision.
“By making it easier for those who can self-check to do so, we can free up local in-person NHS health checks.
“As the organisations legally responsible for provision of the NHS health check, we envision that local authorities will be able to choose how they wish to use a digital health check service in their area, including who they wish to target the digital offer to.”
The service will be managed by NHS England.
Software and safety officer
An attachment to the award notice for the new contract says the company will be responsible for providing the software used in the process, and appointing a clinical safety officer who will work as part of the development team, supporting a counterpart appointed by DHSC in identifying any clinical safety risks and mitigations in the digital service.
The person will also provide support on all aspects of clinical safety and assurance.
