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Current tender process not constructed 'to result in cost-effective services that can flex to dynamic needs of the public' Capita has expressed concerns over the tender process to provide a replacement service for NHS Direct following a report that it had withdrawn from the bidding. Another private sector government service provider, Serco, has already confirmed that it took an internal decision not to bid in the multimillion pound replacement programme to provide a new 24 hour 111 helpline, while Care UK confirmed: "We're not bidding for any 111 contracts at present." Now...

IT industry assocation to work with department on information sharing, standards and procurement The Department of Health Informatics Directorate (DHID) has teamed up with IT industry association Intellect to produce a plan for the development of an IT market in the NHS. It is the first step following the annoucement in September of a partnership between the two aimed at increasing confidence in the use of IT in patient care. The plan includes three subject workstreams, the teams for which are to be set up by February 2012. One is on information sharing and governance, which will attempt to identify...

Department urges trusts to refrain from 'non-business critical' procurement from company The Cabinet Office is halting all but emergency purchases of Microsoft software in the NHS as it negotiates a pan-government procurement deal with the software giant, reports The Register. The crown commercial representative, headed by Stephen Kelly, is leading talks with 20 of the largest suppliers to the public sector, including HP and IBM. Kelly confirmed in leaked letters sent to NHS trusts that efforts are now being made to strike a deal with Microsoft. "It is my intention to develop a commercial...