iSoft wins pathology contract extensions

iSoft have secured three-year contract extensions to four of their NHS contracts for support and maintenance of its laboratory information systems (LIS) in a deal worth £2.7m.

Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lothian, St Mary’s, Paddington, and Salford Royal Hospitals have all renewed their existing LIS contracts with the software provider.

A spokesperson from iSoft told E-Health Insider: “It is pleasing to see these contracts renewed and these serve as a timely reminder that iSoft is not just a national programme company, but is a successful company with a 65% share of the LIS market.”

iSoft has 150 customers in the UK LIS market, which a Forest & Sullivan report last month estimates is currently worth almost £15m, rising to £21.5m in five years

Paul Richards, iSoft UK and Ireland managing director, said: “This shows that customers value our LIS applications and services. While the national programme remains a focus and major priority for the company, it is only one component of our business. Non-NPfIT activities such as LIS continue to thrive both in the UK and overseas.”

The spokesperson added that the new Request Intervention (RI) software, introduced last month, could save NHS trusts up to £100,000 a year by preventing unnecessary blood tests.

The software was jointly developed with the Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, and has saved the trust £25,000 on pathology tests alone by preventing 22,000 needless tests in the past year.

St Mary’s hospital, based in Paddington, London, who have also signed a £750,000 contract to use iSoft’s patient administration system and disaster recovery services until 2008.

St Mary’s pathology systems manager, Edwin Turner, said: “Our pathology system is business critical to the trust and the 24/7 support from iSoft and reliable processing is crucial in providing acute care to patients."

iSoft also have 350 customers in the German LIS market, which the Forest & Sullivan report values at just over £21m and will be worth just under £30m in five years, as well as LIS customers in New Zealand.

Richards said: “We are in a prime position to capitalise on the growth in this sector.”