CHS - Acute Electronic Patient Record (EPR) Contract Extension

Tender description

Croydon Health Services NHS Trust intends to extend its existing contract with Oracle Health for the provision of its acute Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system for a further three years, with an option to extend for an additional 12 months.<br/><br/>The extension will maintain continuity of the Trust’s existing clinical digital services, including the core EPR software, application management, hosting and associated support services. The existing system is integral to the Trust's clinical workflows and digital infrastructure, with significant technical dependencies and integration requirements.<br/><br/>The proposed arrangements include the removal of certain existing functionality and the introduction of additional integrated functionality, including Blood Transfusion Administration and Milk Management modules, to support the Trust's clinical and operational requirements. These modules require integration with the existing EPR environment, making technical compatibility, interoperability and continuity of clinical services key considerations.<br/><br/>The Trust is also progressing plans for a future competitive procurement of its EPR requirements, with the proposed extension providing continuity of existing services during this period. Lot 1: Croydon Health Services NHS Trust proposes to extend its existing contract with Oracle Health for the provision of its acute Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system, commencing on 29th December 2026 for an initial period of three years, with an option to extend for a further 12 months.<br/><br/>The proposed arrangements cover the continued provision of the core EPR software and associated clinical applications, application management, hosting, software licensing, maintenance and technical support services. These services support the Trust's existing clinical and operational activities and the integration of the EPR with other systems across its digital infrastructure.<br/><br/>The proposed arrangements also incorporate changes to the existing scope, including the removal of certain voice recognition, in-application training and user guidance functionality. Additional requirements include increased system user capacity, enhanced application management support, upgrade management services, and further integrated clinical functionality supporting blood transfusion administration and milk management to meet the Trust's operational requirements. A trial of AI-enabled clinical functionality will also be included to evaluate its potential benefits and inform the Trust's future EPR requirements.<br/><br/>The existing EPR operates within a complex and highly integrated technical environment, with established interfaces, clinical workflows and dependencies across the Trust’s wider digital infrastructure. The additional functionality must operate effectively and safely within this environment, maintaining compatibility with the core EPR platform and associated clinical systems.<br/><br/>Introducing an alternative supplier at this stage would present significant technical and interoperability challenges, including the need for additional integration, configuration, testing, clinical safety assurance and ongoing support arrangements. This could create disproportionate technical difficulties and operational risks to established clinical services, alongside unnecessary duplication of implementation, integration and support costs. Continuing with the incumbent supplier will preserve compatibility with the existing EPR environment and enable the proposed requirements to be delivered through established technical and operational arrangements.<br/><br/>The proposed three-year extension, with an option for a further 12 months, reflects the complexity of maintaining and supporting a highly integrated clinical system while accommodating the Trust’s naturally evolving clinical and operational requirements. The optional fourth year recognises the complexity of a major clinical system procurement and transition, providing for circumstances where additional time may be required to complete implementation, data migration and associated integration activities while maintaining continuity of essential clinical services.<br/><br/>The Trust is separately progressing its longer-term EPR strategy, which will include a competitive procurement for its longer-term EPR requirements. The proposed extension is intended to maintain continuity of the existing EPR environment throughout the competitive procurement process, and support implementation and transition to the future arrangements.<br/><br/>The estimated total value of the proposed extension, including the optional fourth year, is approximately £17,549,439 excluding VAT.