East Kent hospitals university trust leads major software deal

Tender for seven year image and archiving contract is on behalf of four trusts

East Kent hospitals university foundation trust is leading a partnership that will see four trusts buy picture and archiving software from one supplier.

The group has published a tender, worth £50m, for picture archiving and communications systems (Pacs), radiology information systems (Ris) and vendor neutral archiving software, including related hardware and managed services. The chosen supplier will also be expected to supply and host domain-based systems required for data sharing.

East Kent is procuring the software on behalf of itself and three other trusts: Dartford and Gravesham, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells, and Medway foundation trust.

According to notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, the four trusts have established the Kent and Medway Pacs Ris replacement programme to deliver a "collaborative and integrated solution". The Kent Health Informations Service is helping the trusts with the procurement.

The notice tells suppliers that a number of the four trusts will require an image and archive solution which is locally hosted by the trust, whereas others may require it to be provided as a managed service.

"The awarding authority reserves the right to remove trusts participating in the procurement at any point during the procurement process prior to contract," adds the notice.

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Read the complete post at http://www.guardian.co.uk/government-computing-network/2012/jan/06/east-kent-hospitals-software-tender