NHS trusts outsource financials and procurement IT

A consortium of NHS trusts and Strategic Health Authorities in the north-east of England has outsourced its financials and procurement IT in a contract worth £16.45m over 10 years.

Called the North East Patches Shared System Group (NEP), the consortium of 56 NHS organisations has awarded the contract to a subsidiary of IBA Health Group, an Australian Securities Exchange-listed IT supplier for healthcare companies.

IB Solutions will provide NEP with a managed service to host Oracle Financials and Procurement applications. The contract renews an existing relationship between NEP and IB Solutions and involves the latter's data centre in Prestwich, Manchester.

NEP programme director, Bob Telford, said in a statement: "We are getting a cost-effective solution from a proven supplier who understands the healthcare business and offers great flexibility by consistently adapting to support our needs."

As part of the deal, the two organisations will implement a two-year graduate recruitment programme, where graduates spend the first year at IB Solutions, before going in-house with the NEP.