ASHTEAD, UK – Thursday 5th July – BridgeHead Software today announces its inclusion on the NHS Supply Chain Framework[1] Agreement for Lot 4 DICOM Vendor Neutral Storage Solutions (VNA) and Lot 5 DICOM Data Migration Solutions. The agreement provides trusts with access to a pre-qualified, pre-selected list of approved suppliers, such as BridgeHead Software, expediting the procurement process and potentially reducing procurement costs.

BridgeHead’s Healthcare Data Management (HDM) Solution enables the storing, protecting and sharing of both clinical data (from PACS and other ‘ologies’, using both DICOM and non-DICOM formats) and administrative data (such as email, documents, spreadsheets etc.). This addresses the VNA requirements as defined within Lot 4, and additionally provides a strategic solution for hospitals’ overall data management for the future.

BridgeHead’s HDM Solution also offers a comprehensive data migration service (meeting the requirements of Lot 5) by which healthcare organisations can move their legacy data into the archive, where it can be appropriately stored, protected and shared.

Once in place, this working data management solution enables hospital staff to quickly search and access patients’ records from multiple systems and locations which, in turn, enables the delivery of more timely and better quality care to patients as well as improving administrative efficiencies.

[1]The benefits of the NHS Supply Chain Framework Agreement are three fold: it brings a degree of expertise in helping Trusts understand what their programme requirements might be, it can help with the procurement cycle and it can also handle relationships post procurement with suppliers.

By offering Lots for the various elements of the PACS ecosystem, the NHS Supply Chain is providing Trusts with a modular approach to procurement, where they can: address their short-term goals by purchasing an interim solution; take a step-by-step approach to their long-term strategic objectives; or go for a comprehensive implementation. This gives hospitals flexibility and choice as to the approach they take to address their current challenges. Furthermore, it means Trusts can select best-in-class suppliers from the various Lots that best meet their requirements, based on their tactical or strategic approaches.

Jim Beagle, CEO at BridgeHead Software, comments: “We’re very pleased to have been accepted as a vendor for Lots 4 and 5 on such an important framework - both in our own right as well as being available for procurement via some of our strategic partners who have also secured their places. The NHS Supply Chain is offering an alternative to the traditional OJEU procurement process. The framework allows for a much simpler purchasing experience with the additional benefit of advice and the option of financing from the NHS Supply Chain.”

Jamie Clifton, Director of Product Management at BridgeHead Software, feels this is a perfect time for Trusts to change how they use data to the betterment of patient care and to drive efficiencies across the organisation. “For example,” Clifton comments, “the ending of the PACS contracts should be seen as an opportunity for trusts to review what is currently being done with diagnostic imaging in the NHS, not just in terms of the sharing and accessing of data, but also in terms of the storage, protection and management of that data within the broader IT infrastructure.”

Clifton added, “BridgeHead has a much broader, strategic view of healthcare data management of which a VNA is part. We believe a true healthcare archive should take into account the storage, management, sharing, accessing, protection and security of all data across the entire hospital, not just radiology. In our experience, this fully integrated approach to VNA reduces costs and increases efficiency by facilitating sharing, compliance requests and disaster recovery using the same technology platform. Consequently, it is really important that trusts make decisions now that map to their long-terms strategic goals in the future.”

BridgeHead expects to complete the Framework ‘on-boarding’ process imminently.

For more information about the NHS Supply Chain Framework Agreement or to explore Vendor Neutral Archive or data migration opportunities with BridgeHead Software, please contact Tony Tomkys on 01372 221901.