Four BT Cerner deployments for South

BT is to deploy Cerner Millennium to a further four acute sites in the South of England as part of its deal to take over the eight sites already live with the system.

In response to a written question from Conservative health spokesman Stephen O’Brien, health minister Ben Bradshaw said the company would also be deploying RiO 25 mental and community health sites.

The government confirmed earlier this month that BT was to take over the eight acute sites that went live with Millennium before the South’s former local service provider, Fujitsu, parted company with the National Programme for IT in the NHS last May.

Bradshaw said this week: “Contract change notices reflecting the appointment of BT as the preferred supplier to the existing eight live Cerner sites in the South, plus a commitment to additional deployments to four further Cerner acute sites, and 25 RiO mental health and community sites, have been signed with the company.”

The minister declined to give the value of the CCNs, arguing that it would “potentially compromise the Department’s position in any future procurement for further services in the South” and so was not the Department or the taxpayer’s interest.

However, he revealed that almost £100m had been paid to BT as “working capital” to “aid with infrastructure, planning and development work in advance of the deployment of systems and services.”

He said the £92.8m plus VAT agreed was “in line with Treasury rules and in return for a reduction in payments to be earned for future successful delivery.” He also said BT had been paid £183,000 excluding VAT for supporting the ‘live eight’ sites after Fujitsu pulled out.

Link: Bradshaw’s written answer