Scotland’s procurement body for local authorities has set up a framework for telecare services. Scotland Excel has said that all 32 Scottish councils, plus two of the country’s largest housing associations, have confirmed they will use the contract until the end of December 2013, but it could be extended by a further year. The forecast spend for each participating local authority is about £3.4m a year over the term of the framework, including the extension period, equating to £10.2m each. [To save you the sum, 32 x £10.2m is £326.4m, approx USD $514m and Euro €384m]
Six suppliers are in the framework: Chubb, ICare, Jontek, Possum, Tunstall and Tynetec. The framework also aims to “help remove some longstanding interoperability issues and provide more flexibility in the choice of equipment” [Don’t ask us, we only quote it]. Scotland launches telecare framework The Guardian.
Does this mean that all Tunstall Dispersed Alarm Units sold in Scotland will need to include the option of using the BS8521 protocol (as well as existing TT protocols)?
Hmmm no small innovations on the framework? Shame.
(admittedly I didn’t even hear about this being up for application, I must not keep on top of the news!)