Four more voice technology contracts have been awarded under the framework agreement drawn up by the NHS Yorkshire and Humber Collaborative Procurement Hub last year.

Two of the main suppliers to the framework deal, which allows trusts to contract a system without going through a lengthy OJEU tendering process, have both won significant contracts for digital dictation and speech recognition services.

SRC has signed an agreement to deploy systems at University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, while BigHand has won three deals at acute trusts.

The solution that SRC will deploy at South Manchester incorporates WinScribe digital dictation and workflow technology with integrated speech recognition capability.

It will integrate with the trust’s existing iSoft iPM patient administration system and enable patient information to be automatically populated into Microsoft Word templates, to reduce document turnaround time.

Mark Blakeman, director of informatics at the trust, said: “SRC have offered us a comprehensive training and support package.

"We could see from visiting other trusts that this will provide users and managers with the knowledge and support necessary to make the digital dictation and speech recognition deployment a real success.”

BigHand will provide its voice software to Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust and Airedale NHS Trust. The deal will cover around 2,000 users.

Stephen Brooker, a BigHand consultant, said: “This is a major step for NHS trusts in the process of implementing initiatives to help to meet key national targets, reinforcing that these clients are all engaged in the process to deliver 21st Century medicine in a fast, safe way to the highest standards of clinical governance.”

Last summer, seven suppliers were awarded the four year framework contract for digital dictation, voice recognition and outsource transcription software by the NHS Yorkshire and Humber Collaborative Procurement Hub , which covers the supply and delivery of systems to more than 200 trusts across the country.

Links: SRC

BigHand