NHSE seeks market engagement on digital primary care

NHS England has launched a market engagement on a new framework for the supply of digital solutions for primary care, which will replace the expired GP IT Futures Framework.

It is looking to engage the market on supply of digital primary care solutions that will be procured by integrated care boards (ICBs) and approved agencies across the UK, with the aim of ensuring streamlined access to digital solutions.

The total value of the new framework is estimated to be £480 million including VAT and the contract will begin on 1 April 2026 and run until 31 March 2029, with a possible extension to 31 March 2031 to take the total length to five years.

In a preliminary market engagement notice, published on 2 May 2025, NHSE said that it is seeking solutions that will be “reflective of healthcare professionals’ needs, as shared through research and user engagement”.

Solutions will augment solutions in development or already assured for marketing on the Digital Services for Integrated Care Catalogue.

“Market engagement will explore current market capacity across a range of patient-facing, clinical and administrative capabilities, and the extent to which the market could assist with further development of those capabilities through research and innovation,” NHSE adds.

The GP IT Futures Framework, which expired on 31 March 2023, was designed to enable GPs, practice staff, suppliers and buyers to identify, compare and procure the IT services to meet their requirements and deliver more innovative use of data collected by GP systems.

Social prescribing software provider Elemental, now Access Elemental, was the first supplier to be awarded a place on the framework in August 2021.

Meanwhile in June 2024, NHSE confirmed that its £300m digital pathways framework had been cancelled, following delays caused by a legal claim.

The framework was aimed at driving a rapid move to a modern general practice model by connecting ICBs with approved suppliers for digital GP tools for messaging, consultations and care navigation.

A poll by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), published in October 2024, found that almost a third of GPs (30%) reported that their work PC or laptop software was not fit for purpose.

The survey, which was responded to by 2,190 RCGP members between May 2024 and June 2024, also identified problems with GPs’ hardware, Wi-Fi, telephony systems and the ability to exchange information with other NHS services.