NHS dangles £1.5B carrot to be outfitted with everything from PCs to printers The NHS has launched a competition worth up to £1.5 billion for suppliers to provide a variety of computer hardware to the world's biggest healthcare organization, including PCs, printers, and peripherals. NHS Shared Business Services Limited (NHS SBS), a joint venture between the NHS and French outsourcer Sopra Steria, and …
Based on my first hand experience these frameworks are more expensive than going to the likes of dell, Lenovo or HP directly where you can get good deals when your buying 500 plus laptops. The kicker here is and services so these tenders are keen on doing the imaging aswel plus consulting on what devices you need. This is as far as my comment can go on this. I’d personally scrap these schemes
Of course its only going to be the usual suspects.... because SME's don't have a billion in cash to buy the hardware and more importantly don't have the cash to extend the credit the NHS want in the deal.
NHS won't be paying cash up front, they'll be wanting to pay at the very least several staged payments if not monthly.
And then they also will want all of these delivering to end users, maintaining asset inventory and setting up, plus replacement devices ready to roll as they need them...
Its a vast undertaking for whoever gets it and its only ever going to be the usual suspects because nobody else can run at that scale but the biggest issue is having the money to front the deal and take it back from the customer over time.
I'd expect the actual device cost to be maybe two thirds to a half of the 1.5bn, the rest will be service charges and finance.
Alternatively you could give every NHS employee a Curry's voucher and go get them to pick their own stuff up....then you might get near a retail price per device. Not really what they want though.
I suppose if the Tories were still here you could pretend you were capable of doing this as a one man team - I mean PPE and Ferry Companies were created out of thin air....
Cost reflect the environment it's used in, the expected failure rate (due to users/environment) and the required lifespan of and support for the equipment. If a customer buys kit with an OEM support shelf life of 5 years and we're in years 3 now, then that means carrying spares for an extra 3 -5 years (the OEM migh only carry the spares for EOL+3, ie standard max warrenty period, with a short tail after that). It's even more pronounced in military contracts where they commonly want 10 years or more of support. Speed and quality of support also factors in the upfront costs too.
A notable one of our contracts includes support for some IT kit supplied to military that went OEM EOL over 5 years ago now. It's getting much more expensive to maintain it so we frequently need to do board level repairs that would normally have been swap-outs, and anything faulty stays in stores so bits can be scavenged to extend the "life" of the new/old stock spares. (part of the reason is that the system as a whole only works with certain kit, as specified by the systems designers at the start, and no options were allowed for to replace one model with a newer model, no drivers etc)
Not just IT, but my cynical view is the costs will be upward.
Recently, I was in a general hospital whose in-house pharmacy was outsourced to a division of one which has a presence in the High Street, and is generally more expensive than other comparable establishments.
Not Boots, but I've avoided them too since private equity gobbled them up.
So now, they have a licence to print money with the in-patient and out-patient prescriptions that must be dispenced at that location
The NHS has cost controls in effect on many drugs. The British National Formulary (BNF) lists the price the NHS will pay for drugs. The NHS Drug Tariff published by the D of H and SC sets out what a pharmacy contractor will be paid for dispensing items - in terms of remuneration, fees and allowances.
Also "gentlemen's" agreement - the manufacturers and wholesalers know not to push their luck - between suppliers and NHS
Income of pharmacy will be made up of the dispensing they are paid for eg £1.27 for processing a prescription, plus the differential between cost of item (bought from wholesaler) and the NHS price.
Well it is different if you pay monies to rich owned big corporations versus paying to working class unwashed staff.
Working class can't have too much money, because what if they can afford members' club fees?
Can you imagine sipping your favourite vintage and enjoying a cigar and seeing a doctor bothering the waiter with his lack of proper taste?
> The NHS has launched a competition worth up to £1.5 billion for suppliers to provide a variety of computer hardware to the world's biggest healthcare organization, including PCs, printers, and peripherals.
Don't take the bait guys. They have already chosen HP and will simply use your bid as a tool to barter with HP for reduced prices.
Only a few years ago (les than 10) when I went to get a small basal cell carcinoma* dealt with, my local NHS trust hospital was run using paper based fax machines, as is / was the rest of the main NHS. The is an awful lot of landfill space needed as not all the components can be recycled. (NOT entirely a joke.)
Although when I went for my inguinal hernia op in July** everything was electronic, even my signature on the consent form.
Let's hope they get this procurement at least mostly right, NHS IT has been effed about with a great deal in the last 30 years, it is time they had stuff that works well.
*According to the surgeon "the best cancer to have". Op went ok and I have a difficult to see scar on my nose, although am no handsomer than I was before (sad face).
**I seem to be mostly recovered now. They don't use stitches, they just use 'rubber solution glue' to stick the wound edges together. Six weeks later and I'm still picking little bits of rubber off my abdomen, but the would has healed really neatly, thanks for asking.
* and ** And yes, being in the UK it was all done 'on the NHS', so I didn't have to pay anything at all for the operations.
My pitch. I'll bid £1mil, that's all you have to pay me and a mate to do it:
Transforming NHS Digital Infrastructure: A Paradigm Shift Towards a Synergistic, Scalable IT Ecosystem
Dear NHS,
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, it is imperative that the NHS aligns its IT infrastructure with cutting-edge innovations to deliver superior patient outcomes. Our proposal to revolutionize the NHS’s digital framework is more than just a technical upgrade; it’s a quantum leap toward a hyper-optimized, future-proof ecosystem that harmonizes efficiency, security, and scalability.
Key Value Propositions:
Holistic Synergization: We specialize in integrating cross-functional IT architectures to create a unified, holistic environment. Our approach ensures that disparate systems communicate seamlessly, fostering an ecosystem of synergized productivity.
Scalable Digital Transformation: As the NHS evolves, so must its digital backbone. Our modular, scalable solutions are designed to grow organically with your needs, ensuring long-term viability without the need for disruptive overhauls. Think of it as an ever-expanding ecosystem that adapts to the dynamic demands of healthcare delivery.
AI-Driven Paradigms: By leveraging cutting-edge AI, we can proactively manage and optimize the NHS’s IT infrastructure. This AI-driven approach ensures that your systems are always performing at peak efficiency, anticipating needs before they arise, and delivering real-time actionable insights.
Blockchain-Enabled Security: Our blockchain-enabled security protocols guarantee data integrity and compliance across all NHS systems. This next-gen approach to cybersecurity ensures that patient data is not only secure but also verifiable and immutable, setting new standards in data governance.
Quantum Computing Readiness: Future-proofing your IT landscape is critical. Our solutions are not only compatible with today’s technology but are also quantum-ready, ensuring that the NHS will be at the forefront of the next computing revolution.
Agile Iterative Feedback Loops: We implement agile methodologies that incorporate iterative feedback loops, ensuring continuous improvement and alignment with NHS objectives. This results in a more responsive and adaptable IT environment, capable of evolving in real-time with NHS demands.
Circular Data Economy: By embracing a circular data economy, we transform data into a perpetual resource, unlocking new insights and efficiencies that drive decision-making and improve patient care.
Hyper-Converged Infrastructure: Our solution integrates compute, storage, and networking into a single, unified system, reducing complexity and streamlining operations. This hyper-convergence not only boosts performance but also reduces the total cost of ownership (TCO).
Strategic Outcomes:
Enhanced Patient Care: Improved data flow and accessibility will empower healthcare professionals with the insights they need to provide superior patient care.
Operational Excellence: Streamlined processes and enhanced security will reduce downtime and operational disruptions, ensuring the NHS operates at maximum efficiency.
Future-Ready Framework: With our cutting-edge solutions, the NHS will not only meet today’s demands but will be well-positioned to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.
We are excited about the opportunity to partner with the NHS to create a resilient, innovative, and efficient IT infrastructure that will serve as the backbone of healthcare excellence. Let’s embark on this journey together and set new benchmarks in the healthcare IT ecosystem.
Thank you for considering our proposal. We look forward to the opportunity to discuss how we can deliver a transformative IT experience for the NHS.
Best regards
No, I just asked ChatGPT to write it for me and to throw in buzz words that made no sense :o)
The worrying part is, this is what all managers and pitchers and execs and directors will now be doing. Get paid big bucks to just ask ChatGPT and the like to do their work for them.
Irrespective of all the other arguments/discussions here. I worry about the "How come they can afford to spend £x millions on...." arguments.
The two things are both essential. Yes you need to find the cash for nurses, doctors, therapists etc. But you also need to find the cash for the PCs,scanners,storage devices and god knows what else that is required. And the same argument applies to admin staff too. You don't have medical staff running in a vacuum. They need the tech and the admin support, (Layers of management might be a different matter, of course).
And it's commentards on here who will be the first to complain that the NHS is using out-dated, insecure tech.
I just wish they'd stop throwing away PCs when they're still fit for purpose.
For years I've been buying second hand refurbished ex-NHS PCs - sometimes with the 3rd year HP warranty still valid on them.
The biggest crime though is that they give away these PCs for scrap value - sometimes PAYING for a third party to take them off their hands - who then just wipe them and re-sell for £180 and upwards.
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