Health blogger Rod Ward who's in Australia - home of healthcare software supplier IBA - reports today (22 August 2007) that the supplier has submitted an increased bid for iSoft, which supplies one of the two main patient administration systems being offered under the NHS's National Programme for IT [NPfIT].
Rod Ward says the bid has generated discussion at the Medinfo 2007 conference which he is covering in Brisbane, Eastern Australia.
The position of NHS Connecting for Health, which manages the contracts with the NPfIT's three local service providers, is that the matter of any takeover of iSoft by IBA is a matter for CSC. iSoft is contracted to CSC, the local service provider for the North and mid-England.
"NHS Connecting for Health's position in respect of this transaction is that this is a matter for CSC," said the organisation.
The House of Commons' Health Committee, which is investigating aspects of the NPfIT, was told in June that a deal between IBA and iSoft was likely to happen in the next few days.
The Health Committee, incidentally, is due to publish a report The Electronic Patient Record on 13 September 2007.
On 22 August 2007 iSoft issued a statement in response to the revised offer by IBA Health. It said:
"The Board of iSOFT notes the announcement yesterday of a revised offer for iSOFT by IBA of 69 pence per share in cash with a share alternative of 1.65 new IBA shares per iSOFT share and also that IBA intends to seek the recommendation of the iSOFT Board for this offer. The Board will consider the revised IBA offer and will respond in due course. A further announcement will be made in due course."Links: