Microtest has formally announced that it has been selected as one of two new IT vendors for NHS Wales, after Emis lost preferred supplier status.

Under a four-year contract, Microtest will supply its clinical software to GP surgeries in Wales. This may be extended for a further two years at the discretion of the NHS Wales Informatics Service.

The vendor was awarded the contract following a “rigorous procurement process”, which saw rival supplier Vision also secure a deal with NHS Wales.

Chris Netherton, MD of Microtest, said: “We are delighted with this decision and really excited about the opportunity to work with new customers across NHS Wales. This was a very detailed and exacting process, but we were able to demonstrate that Microtest has all the capabilities required to meet the needs of GP Practices in NHS Wales – both now and well into the future.”

Emis also put in a tender bid, which was rejected after failing to meet evaluation criteria.

Following the repeal, 195 GP practices will be migrated to Microtest and Vision through 2019/20.

Microtest is currently in the process of introducing a new and “future-proof” version of its core clinical system, called Open Evolution.

“As a new supplier to the NHS Wales, we hope we can bring fresh ideas and perspectives to the table, which can benefit everyone involved,” said Netherton.

“We have always prided ourselves on the quality of personal service that we give to our customers, and we will be working to ensure a smooth and successful implementation of this new contract.”

January was not a strong month for EMIS, which had earlier found itself in breach of NHS Digital’s GP Systems of Choice (SoC) contract.

It expects to incur a multi-million pound penalty after failing to meet unspecified standards within its service-level agreement with the organisation.