NHS Connecting for Health has announced the final deal
to roll out digital imaging systems across England.
The deal had been held up by an unsuccessful legal challenge to
the procurement process by imaging firm Fuji.
Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS) will mean
that nearly all images – such as x-rays and scans – used by the
health service can be stored, transmitted and viewed digitally.
Outsourcing and consultancy firm Accenture, the local service
provider covering the North East and East of England regions, will
deploy the PACS system with imaging company Agfa sub-contracted to
supply the software.
Similar agreements are already in place with NHS Connecting for
Health’s other three local service providers.
NHS IT director general Richard Granger said, “I was
disappointed that delay was inflicted on the NHS and our patients
by the failed legal challenge. But I was delighted that the judge
held that there had been a correct and high-quality procurement
process.
“Today we have completed the contractual jigsaw and I look
forward to driving implementation so that PACS becomes ubiquitous
in English hospitals and the benefits are made real.”
The legal challenge has not been the only snag to delay the PACS
roll-out. Earlier this year NHS organisations warned that early
implementations were being delayed by several issues, including
funding uncertainties.