Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Business Services Organisation I T S
Centre House,79 Chichester Street
BELFAST
BT14JE
Contact
Catherine Fegan
Telephone
+44 2895362561
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKN06 - Belfast
Internet address(es)
Main address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Health
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Cegedim GP System of Choice (GPSoC)
Reference number
STA10145
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Currently there are 122 NI GP practices using the Cegedim Clinical System for patient management. To enable the Cegedim Clinical System to meet the needs of the practices it must interoperate with other specific hardware and software such as patient checkin and patient call systems. Given the dependency on IT in General Practice, stopping these services would very significantly impact on the ability of the 122 Vision GP practices to provide GMS services. Practices would be unable to access patient histories or record consultations against an electronic patient record. They would also be unable to interface electronically with other HSC systems - E.g. lab results, radiology reports, registration links, Emergency Care Summary, Key Information Summary, Electronic Document Transfer, GPIP etc. - so reintroducing delay and inaccuracy in patient care.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Lowest offer: £8,613,234.06 / Highest offer: £10,592,832.10 taken into consideration
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - Northern Ireland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Currently there are 122 NI GP practices using the Cegedim Clinical System for patient management. To enable the Cegedim Clinical System to meet the needs of the practices it must interoperate with other specific hardware and software such as patient checkin and patient call systems. Given the dependency on IT in General Practice, stopping these services would very significantly impact on the ability of the 122 Vision GP practices to provide GMS services. Practices would be unable to access patient histories or record consultations against an electronic patient record. They would also be unable to interface electronically with other HSC systems - E.g. lab results, radiology reports, registration links, Emergency Care Summary, Key Information Summary, Electronic Document Transfer, GPIP etc. - so reintroducing delay and inaccuracy in patient care.
A key element identified in the strategy was the alignment with England's GMS IT procurement, known as GP IT Futures, and the use of its proposed GP IT Futures Catalogue and GP IT Futures Framework.
The use of the IT Futures Catalogue brings huge benefits to NI:
• items on the catalogue, including both systems and services, can only be there if they have been rigorously tested and accepted. NHS Digital provide the testing for the catalogue. Without this, NI would have to find appropriate experts, both clinical and technical, to continuously carry out the testing of new or amended items. This would significantly increase risk, cost and timescales for every new item to be procured by NI.
• England is a much larger CEGEDIM customer than NI and is better placed to negotiate costs. By using the GP IT Futures Catalogue, NI benefit from the lower costs.
Unfortunately, the on boarding of systems and services onto the GP IT Futures Catalogue in England was delayed, in part due to covid pressures. This delay has had a knock on effect on the necessary assessment of all options within the NI procurement strategy. The NI procurement strategy is now being finalised and procurement planning now shows that the new NI contracts should be in place by March 2023 or shortly thereafter.
The justification for this DAC, therefore, is to ensure the existing services continue uninterrupted until those services can be procured through contracts established by the on-going procurement process.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations
Explanation:
Currently there are 122 NI GP practices using the Cegedim Clinical System for patient management. To enable the Cegedim Clinical System to meet the needs of the practices it must interoperate with other specific hardware and software such as patient checkin and patient call systems. Given the dependency on IT in General Practice, stopping these services would very significantly impact on the ability of the 122 Vision GP practices to provide GMS services. Practices would be unable to access patient histories or record consultations against an electronic patient record. They would also be unable to interface electronically with other HSC systems - E.g. lab results, radiology reports, registration links, Emergency Care Summary, Key Information Summary, Electronic Document Transfer, GPIP etc. - so reintroducing delay and inaccuracy in patient care.
BSO ITS are in the process of creating a Framework through GP IT Futures. This was due to happen in 2021 unfortunately, the on boarding of systems and services onto the GP IT Futures Catalogue in England was delayed, in part due to covid pressures. This delay has had a knock on effect on the necessary assessment of all options within the NI procurement strategy. The NI procurement strategy is now being finalised and procurement planning now shows that the new NI contracts should be in place by March 2023 or shortly thereafter.
The justification for this DAC, therefore, is to ensure the existing services continue uninterrupted until those services can be procured through contracts established by the on-going procurement process.
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
Section five. Award of contract
Contract No
STA10145
Title
Cegedim GP System of Choice (GPSoC)
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
8 December 2021
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Cegedim Healthcare Solutions
Dundee
DD2 1SW
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKM - Scotland
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Lowest offer: £8,613,234.06 / Highest offer: £10,592,832.10 taken into consideration
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Business Services Organisation
2 Franklin Street
Belfast
BT2 8DQ
Country
United Kingdom