HP to receive healthy share of £14m contract

Garry Williams, Director of Information Systems for the Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS), has announced a boost for information technology in the Northern Ireland health sector.

The contract to supply computer servers and services to the Health and Personal Social Services had been awarded to two locally represented computer manufacturing and services companies.

Mr Williams said: “This contract, which will be worth £14.5 million over the next five years, is the latest step in our plan to modernise information and computer technology within the HPSS.

“I am pleased to say that Compaq, now part of the new HP, which has an excellent pedigree in this type of work, has been named as one of the successful suppliers.”

Clifford Harris, General Manager for HP in Northern Ireland, one of the largest provider of information technology based solutions providors in Northern Ireland, said: “HP in Northern Ireland is well placed to deliver what is the most valuable public sector IT contract this year. As a result of our unrivalled public sector experience we have an in-depth understanding of the needs of the Health Service. We will be working in close partnership with the DHSSPS Directorate of Information Systems to deliver efficient and cost effective solutions that fully meet HPSS needs for years to come.”

The framework contract will be used to replace the large number of small computer systems in health and social services trusts with a small number of easily managed, and more efficient, larger systems. Consolidation of the existing systems will also help to improve the security of information passing between different organisations.

Mr Williams added: "The framework contract is an important tool for the delivery of the objectives in the new HPSS ICT Strategy (Information and Communications Technology) which is under development.

"The contract represents an opportunity for the new HP, in conjunction with the HPSS, to make a major improvement to the infrastructure and systems currently deployed in the HPSS. This will ultimately make a positive contribution to the care that patients and clients receive.”

(SP)