TTA Archives 2005-2012

2 thoughts on “Who has benefited – or not – from the UK's Telecare, Telehealth and Telecoaching procurement framework RM784?”

1. Steve

   As you have mentioned, there will be a significant volume of business transacted outside of the FOI figures. This will include:

   -Non-declared sales via framework organisations as mentioned
   -Purchases below the public sector EU procurement limits made by local authorities, PCTs, health trusts and boards etc
   -A number of high value contracts which have progressed through full EU procurement
   -Products and services purchased through other telecare/telehealth frameworks eg NHC, Excel in Scotland
   -Telecare, telehealth and telemedicine components purchased through other frameworks eg computers, servers, medical device peripherals
   -Purchases made by non-public sector bodies such as third sector, voluntary organisations, housing organisations where they may not be constrained by EU public sector procurement requirements
   -Contracts placed and still in force under the previous 2006-2010 NHS PASA/Buying Solutions Framework and other previous tenders/contracts prior to 2010
   -Business to business transactions
   -Consumer transactions for alarm and telecare products/services, medical devices, smartphone health apps etc – some of these may be associated with personal budgets and support plans

   The amounts through the framework are not an indicator of the overall expenditure on telecare, telehealth in the UK (see figures collected by CQC between 2006-2010 for local authorities in England still available on the TelecareLIN website).

   All the best

   Mike Clark (@clarkmike)

2. Mike, Thanks for elaborating on the point that there is much purchasing activity happening outside the framework and, indeed, one cannot draw conclusions about total UK expenditure from them.

   If I can draw attention back to the question in the headline, it would appear that, with a very few exceptions, the majority of companies ‘on the framework’ spent a lot of management time and effort for no purpose other than some dubious marketing ‘kudos’ of being able to say that they are on it.

   When you ask ‘Who has benefited?’ the answer appears to be Tunstall and the the Government Procurement Service (previously Buying Solutions).

   I would suggest that other suppliers should think long and hard about supporting proposals for other framework agreements.

   Steve

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