IBM wins £60m Leicester hospitals deal

Trust claims investment shows big stepping stone to improving its technology

IBM has won a £60m contract with University Hospitals Leicester (UHL) in a move the organisations hope will generate long-term cost savings for the trust.

The 10-year deal, which has the option to extend to 15 years, will see IBM deliver a variety of software, networking and maintenance products and services to the trust with the help of partner NTT Data.

UHL says the investment "could be the single most important thing that we have ever done in terms of improving technology" in the organisation, claiming it is looking forward to the benefits the deal will bring to staff and patients.

The trust said there had been "strong interest" in the contract and that criteria including delivering IT services, transformation capability and value for money were considered during the decision-making process.

One of the first projects to which IBM's technology will contribute is creating a clinical portal where doctors can access all patient information, among a variety of longer-term projects.