NHS England is laying plans for the development of a federated data platform.
It has published a prior information notice for potential suppliers, indicating that the procurement could have a total value of £240 million.
The move reflects the long running trend towards the increased integration of systems and data sharing around the health service and with social care bodies, and follows Health Secretary Sajid Javid’s recent indication that all patients should have a single digital care record and integrated care systems (ICSs) should raise their digital maturity.
The market notice says the platform will be built on five use cases: population health and person insight; care co-ordination (as with ICSs); elective recovery; vaccines and immunisations; and the supply chain.
Platform and privacy
It also describes it as “an ecosystem of technologies and services”, indicating that the planned procurement will consist of the two lots. One will be for the platform itself, with the capacity for ICS integration and the relevant consultancy and communications support; the other for privacy enhancing technology.
It also says that other procurements that are relevant to the project could be made by other organisations.
The next stages in the plan are for a supplier briefing on 13 April and publication of the procurement notice in June.
