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Last week brought news that the NHS’ long-running Additional Supply Capability and Capacity (ASCC) procurement for child and community health systems in the South of England has been abandoned. According to the Department of Health (DoH) none of the suppliers were awarded a contract because they failed to demonstrate value for money. The Department is now working with the Trusts affected to “assess other options”.
The future of the two remaining ASCC South procurements – for acute systems and ambulance systems – now looks highly uncertain. The ASCC framework itself expires next year and it’s hard to envisage the government pushing ahead with the two less advanced procurements having just canned the one that was on the verge of signing contracts (see NHS IT: ‘Acute’ ASCC procurement gets the go-ahead for the story so far).
For the suppliers concerned the news therefore (potentially) delivers multiple blows. CSC will be particularly disappointed. Rumour had it that it was set to be awarded a contract – one that’s been waiting for signature since February - to supply 17 Trusts in the South of England with TPP’s community software. Other bidders were BT with CSE Healthcare’s RiO software and Logica with Civica’s Paris application. The implications for CSC could go further still. The DoH’s decision on community health could be a bad omen for its troubled local service provider contracts in the North, Midlands and East of England, which are still the subject of re/negotiations with the DoH (see CSC and NPfIT: the saga continues).
Subscribers to TechMarketView’s research services can read our full analysis of the broader implications on UKHotViewsExtra: Axing of Community ASCC contract bodes ill for SIs. If you’re not yet a subscriber and you’d like to know how to join the clan contact Deborah Seth for details.
