Perot Systems Corporation has signed a six and a half-year contract with BT to help deliver the integrated local electronic patient record application and system for London under the NHS National programme for IT.

The total value of the contract is estimated at £108 million. Under the deal Perot will provide its clinical transformation expertise to BT, the local service provider to the NHS in London, in support of the implementation of integrated electronic care records in London.

Perot Systems will provide services through its clinical transformation organisation, which provides project management, care redesign, clinical best practice solutions, and product implementation and configuration services.

"We are honoured to be selected by BT to be part of this historic program to deliver a new IT healthcare system," said Peter Altabef, president and CEO of Perot Systems Corporation. "We will utilise our global expertise in clinical transformation, complex systems implementations and integration as part of the consortium."

The new patient record system to be delivered in London will span a population of more than 7 million citizens, involve 150,000 NHS staff, 1,660 GPn practices, 43 hospitals and 13 care communities.

When fully implemented, the system will enable NHS organizations to record and exchange patient and care information electronically, eliminating duplication of patient files, improving information-sharing between healthcare professionals, and helping to prevent medical errors.

In December 2003 BT was awarded a ten-year contract worth £996 to act as LSP for London, as part of the NHS NPfIT.  Perot Systems has been a major sub-contractor to BT since then.

"We welcome the opportunity to join with BT to improve the working lives of NHS staff while enabling them to deliver improved patient care in London," said Chuck Lyles, president of Perot Systems healthcare industry group.

"Perot Systems will apply its best practice capabilities to the London LSP from top to bottom — from strategic integration design to the local deployment and implementation of system improvements with clinicians and care providers," said Suzanne Goodband, European health industry group leader for Perot Systems.