The Health Service Executive has issued a tender for a four-year national integrated services IT project using electronic health records to underpin its integrated service delivery plan.
The HSE’s ICT directorate has broken down the framework agreement into 12 work streams, grouped into six lots. It expects to make around five appointees for each of the lots.
The first of these is to develop an overview and approach of the integrated services around an electronic health record. Work is already at an advanced stage on this, but the tender document makes clear that the HSE may look to successful bidders for additional input into this part of the project.
The subsequent lots cover ICT platforms, and technologies, high-level business process, information architecture, a data and information repository, building up to identity, access and consent management. Another lot covers the electronic health record portal and presentation, and the final lot refers to governance.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the HSE told Siliconrepublic.com: “The establishment of integrated service delivery is a strategic objective for the HSE. To achieve this, ICT must ensure that key systems and/or key system components, can share data in timely and organised fashion.”
Explaining the use of a framework agreement, the spokesperson said this was an industry standard method for achieving this objective. Following an architecture and then design process, components and systems will be either developed or procured to comply with this framework.
“The scope of this project is to develop a framework only. The rationale for utilising a framework is that it allows the HSE greater flexibility to utilise a wide range of resources at the most economic cost and ensure that the manner in which we deliver ICT solutions is aligned with the overall HSE strategy and business objectives,” the spokesperson said.
The HSE did not address questions of project cost, as the procurement process is still under way. The deadline for applications is 20 August.
It is not clear whether the planned framework will be affected by the Health Minister James Reilly’s intention to restructure the HSE and bring budgetary control back within his department by 2014. Siliconrepublic.com contacted the Department of Health which said this was a matter for the HSE.
