Technology SMEs band together to help drive innovation in the NHS
A new SME consortium, consisting of five companies, has been accepted onto the Crown Commercial Services’ Digital Capability for Health Framework.
Three of the businesses – Hippo Digital, The Data Shed and Answer Digital – are based in Leeds, with Hippo Digital chosen as prime contractor. The other firms making up the consortium are Apira Ltd and Made Tech.
The multi-million pound initiative, which runs over four years, aims to put in place a Collaborative Agreement for use by NHS Digital and other national, regional and local public sector health and social care bodies, for the provision of digital outcomes and supporting services.
The consortium’s range of specialist skills will provide the NHS and health and social care organisations with access to digital skills and products that will improve services for both staff and patients.
It will also provide an avenue to help the Government reach its goal of channelling a third of external spending through small and medium sized enterprises by 2022, providing the public sector with easy, centralised access to services from these five approved SMEs.
Adam Lewis, managing director at Hippo Digital, said: “We are proud to have been accepted onto the framework and having such an accomplished group of SMEs by our side brings added strength and depth to our combined capability.
“Together with our partners, we blend a mix of specialist skills and healthcare experience to provide maximum value to our clients and their service users.
“Our relationship with the healthcare service stretches back to the very beginning of the Hippo Digital story and we are delighted to have the opportunity to build on that partnership in the future.”
Rich Pugmire, director at Answer Digital, said: “We’re immensely proud and excited at the opportunity this framework award gives us to strengthen our relationship with NHS Digital.
“Combining our depth of healthcare experience with the fantastic partner organisations within the consortium, we are looking forward to delivering a range of services and giving the amazing people at Answer a genuine opportunity to make a difference.”
Anna Sutton, CEO of The Data Shed, said: “Collaboration is in our DNA at The Data Shed and we’re really excited to be working alongside our talented partners in this consortium.
“We all have specialist skills and strong healthcare experience and together we’ll make a big difference to the quality of care provision within the NHS and other care organisations.
“We’ve seen in the last year how we’ve relied on the NHS even more than usual and we’re proud to be playing our part in using digital solutions to transform the future of health and social care.”
