Law firm Hill Dickinson has advised the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) on the award of a £1.2 billion contract to Infosys to deliver a new and enhanced workforce management solution for the NHS.
The solution will support NHS organisations and their employees by providing a complete employment lifecycle platform, generating significant benefits for the NHS over the 15-year contract duration. It will support everything from recruitment and onboarding to career development, workforce management, payroll and retirement.
The Future NHS Workforce Solution will succeed the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) and continue to pay 1.9 million NHS employees, which is 5% of the UK workforce, over £55 billion in payroll each year.
The contract award is the culmination of advice provided over a period of six years by Hill Dickinson. The team was led by commercial partner Jamie Foster, supported by partner and public procurement specialist Mark Fitzgibbon, together with a wider team comprising Lucy Probert, Caroline Lorkin, Alex Hollingsworth and Jasmyn Spanswick. Data Protection partner Richard Parker and Employment partner Amy Millson also provided specialist advice. The team were also supported by Mehsan Khalid, Katy Parkinson, Brooke Foster and Ajay Rathore.
The contract award demonstrates the government’s commitment to investing in NHS infrastructure and supporting healthcare workers with the tools they need to free up time to continue delivering excellent patient care.
We are absolutely delighted to have helped deliver this landmark contract award, which will deliver real and positive change for employees of the NHS. It was a pleasure working with the dedicated and expert team at the NHS Business Services Authority over such a long period.Jamie Foster
Partner at Hill Dickinson
Commenting on Hill Dickinson’s role, Jamie Foster said: “We are absolutely delighted to have helped deliver this landmark contract award, which will deliver real and positive change for employees of the NHS. It was a pleasure working with the dedicated and expert team at the NHS Business Services Authority over such a long period.”
NHSBSA Chief Executive Michael Brodie said, “Delivering the Future NHS Workforce Solution is a critical step in supporting the NHS workforce ambitions and commitments in the 10-Year Health Plan to create an NHS fit for the future.
“The future solution will go far beyond replacing ESR - it provides an opportunity for the NHS to save significant amounts of money, which can be put back into patient care to help people live longer, healthier lives.
“Working with Infosys, we’re creating a modern, data-driven solution that will help the NHS better attract, retain and support its people.
“This is about delivering lasting change for the NHS workforce and the communities we serve.”
Implementation is expected to be completed by 2030. It is not just about rolling out a new digital system with improved technology, it will offer the NHS a transformational opportunity to standardise ways of working and create an improved, more consistent and user-friendly experience as colleagues move throughout their careers within the NHS.
Using the latest technology and artificial intelligence, the future solution will allow employees to connect more easily with other digital systems and will empower them to manage their personal information more efficiently. It will also give the NHS improved data about its workforce so managers can make better planning decisions, which will drive cost reduction and enable productivity improvements.