Another week, another period of deafening silence on the fate of the second round of NHS England’s technology fund, aka the ‘Integrated Digital Care Technology Fund.’ Last month, EHI News ran a survey asking trusts how the delay was affecting them. Some said that if there was no news by the end of January, it would be too late for many projects.

That certainly seems to be the message from IT directors that EHI News has spoken to recently. And, as senior reporter Sam Sachdeva establishes in an Insight piece this week, that is having an impact on suppliers. Reasonably, companies in areas identified as priorities by the commissioning board expected an up-tick in business. This has not materialised, potentially leaving them out of pocket. And as frustrated as everybody else.

Meanwhile, the debate over the merits and demerits of framework contracts has resurfaced with NHS Shared Business Services’ publication of a six lot contract worth up to £1.25 billion. This is meant, in part, to help the 180 trusts in the North, Midlands and East of England that will need to make decisions about the future of some of their core IT in short order, as their National Programme for IT in the NHS contracts come to an end.

But while the promise of a framework contracts is that they will make procurement easier and faster, there are always concerns that it will also push trusts into buying something less than optimal, limit choice, and stifle innovation. On top of which, there are some interesting omissions from the NHS SBS framework. Time will tell what impact it has on the market.

NHS SBS launches £1.25b framework

NHS Shared Business Services has launched a new clinical information systems framework that could be worth up to £1.25 billion, with 26 different suppliers offering solutions.

HSCIC starts SUS and Care ID transfer

A “lift and shift” of two key Health and Social Care Information Centre services, moving them in-house, will give the organisation greater control over their functionality, it has said.

St George’s exits BT for RiO

St George’s University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has become the first community trust in London to leave the BT data centre, after moving to a direct contract for Servelec’s RiO electronic patient record system.

Royal Brompton to pilot EPMA and EDM

Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust will run pilots of its Medchart electronic prescribing and medicines administration system and Kainos Evolve electronic document management system before the end of March.

Put GPs on NHS 111 calls - Hakin

Providers of the NHS 111 telephone service should have GPs on hand to provide clinical advice at peak times, according to NHS England’s national director of commissioning operations.

App maps long term conditions

A new mobile app has been launched to make it easier for people with long-term conditions to log their symptoms and medications.

Much glee in the papers this week, when it emerged that NHS Health Scotland had decided to move one of its printers. Not such big news? Well, it wouldn’t have been if the health board hadn’t required staff to fill in a seven page report on the implications of removing the printer and leaving staff with just two printers on two floors instead of three.

The report came with a full check list for how 17 population groups might be affected by the move, and whether there were any human rights issues to worry about. Fortunately, the fully risk assessed decision was that while there might be longer queues for the remaining printers, this would give people more chance to “meet and chat” to each other; and cut paper and other consumables.

Refreshingly, a health board spokesperson rejected the suggestion that this was an example of “out of control bureaucracy” or “paper-pushing madness”, saying it liked to do things the right way and an impact assessment was a “useful and proportionate exercise.” Just don’t try and move a kettle…

Whistleblowing in the 21st century

Paul Hodgkin says Sir Robert Francis’ report on whistleblowing is focused on corporate action; and in the age of social media, that may not be the best way forward.

“The idea that information on some quite possibly obsolete electronic device is more accessible in an emergency than a folded piece of paper held safely in my pocket - words fail me.”

“I can’t say anything. I’m literally homing in. I can’t even tell you. You won’t believe the level I’m talking to – please just wait. As soon as I know how much money I’m getting, you’ll know.”

Beverley Bryant, NHS England’s director of strategic systems and technology, is asked, yet again, when tech fund 2 will be out.