A pool of 46 tech suppliers have been selected for the framework which provides digital document management tools and printing services to NHS organisations.

The NHS London Procurement Partnership (LPP), hosted by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust runs the Digital Documents Solutions (DDS), which came into effect last month.

According to Public Technology.net, the agreement has an estimated value of £5 billion for suppliers over its initial four year period.

It includes nine system solution types: patient administration; electronic health and care records; pathology; radiology, pharmacy; artificial intelligence (AI) and automation; patient support; specialist clinical systems; and shared care records.

Chosen suppliers are available for use by NHS trusts, foundation trusts, clinical commissioning groups, GP federations and other health and social care providers within the UK and Northern Ireland, as well as local authorities and other third sector organisations.

The 46 suppliers featured on the framework are: Restore; CFH Docmail; Nuance Communications; Bluewire Technologies; Landscape Printing; Conduent; Hyland Software; Gateway Bureau Services; Cleardata; Swisspost Solutions; ASL; MBA Group; Hugh Symons Information Management; FlowForma; Kyocera Document Solutions; Print Search; 3M M*Modal; Academia; Apogee; LGDavis; Canon; Corona Corporate Solutions; NHS Business Services Authority; Corporate Document Services; Continuous Dataprint; Synertec; IMMJ Systems; Harlow Printing; HH Global; Ricoh; Capita Business Services; PSL Print Management; Civica; Ratcliff & Roper; Konica Minolta Business Solutions; CSP; Vision; Altodigital Networks; CCube Solutions; HP; G2 Speech; Bramble Hub; Iron Mountain; Xerox; Exela Technologies; and Crown Records Management.

WHY IT MATTERS 

LPP has the remit of driving improved procurement and commercial efficiencies across the UK health economy to deliver quality patient and social care. It says the DDS framework aims to provide flexibility for supplier innovation, supplier growth and supplier-customer partnerships across the NHS and wider public sector.

THE LARGER CONTEXT

Last year the NHS Shared Business Services launched its new procurement framework to assist the NHS in purchasing cost-effective IT solutions. The framework, which has an estimated value of £500 million, is due to run until August 2022, with an optional two-year extension through to 2024.

ON THE RECORD

Speech recognition supplier, G2 Speech, said in a statement: “We are thrilled to be listed as a preferred supplier for DDS within the framework.

“As its names implies, the framework includes but is not limited to all digital document solutions plus any associated hardware or software. Categories include: internal print, external print, digital mail room, scanning, document storage, electronic document eecord management solutions (EDRMS), digital dictation, workflow processes, contract centre.

“The framework agreement will allow us to be awarded contracts with UK public sector organisations, either via further competition or via direct award.”

On its website, the LPP said: “LPP have achieved our vision of an innovative and agile route to market for digital document solutions through a single lot, outcome-based framework structure. This allows suppliers to not only evolve the functionality of their existing product portfolio throughout the lifetime of the framework but also to expand their range into new solution areas.”