NHS SBS launches £1.5bn framework to upgrade NHS hardware

NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) and North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative (NOE CPC) have partnered to launch a framework agreement worth £1.5bn to upgrade outdated IT systems in the NHS.

The ‘Tech Devices – Link 4’ framework is aimed at streamlining procurement, to enable teams to buy the latest essential end-user hardware and devices from suppliers.

It comes as the NHS faces challenges in upgrading outdated hardware that is often incompatible with the latest operating systems or software, with fears raised that trusts are not prepared to move to Windows 11 in October 2025.

Sakir Mahmud, principal category manager – digital and IT at NHS SBS, said: “The NHS’s vision of a streamlined, inclusive digital health service depends on a robust IT infrastructure.

“Modernising IT equipment is vital to overcoming challenges, enabling innovation, and ensuring healthcare professionals can prioritise patient care.”

Tech Devices – Link 4 runs from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2028, with the option to extend to 31 March 2029.

The framework agreement has been endorsed and recommended by NHS England as a route to market for trusts procuring digital and IT solutions.

It comprises four Lots covering essential devices like desktops, laptops, tablets, and healthcare-specific equipment, such as medical workstations for efficient medication rounds, and clinical diagnostic monitors and displays.

To support sustainability, the Refurbished and Remanufactured Devices Lot offers high-performance, cost-effective solutions that align with the NHS’s net-zero ambitions, supporting sustainability goals.

Adele Guettat, category manager – technology (ICT) at NOE CPC, said: “Outdated IT hardware and technology affects team morale, slows innovation and hampers patient care. Investing in advanced IT equipment, therefore, is key to improving productivity and care.

“Without modern devices, NHS trusts cannot upgrade systems like EPR. Community nurses lose valuable time on administrative tasks instead of patient visits.

“Legacy systems lack robust cybersecurity measures, leaving sensitive patient data vulnerable to breaches.

“Adoption of advanced technologies – like artificial intelligence, are hampered stifling opportunities for innovation and patient care.”

The framework agreement also extends beyond the NHS to the wider public sector, including education trusts, universities, and local authorities, enabling them to leverage the buying power of the NHS.

It is intended to aid the government in its ambition to move “from an analogue to a digital NHS”, which prime minister Sir Keir Starmer pledged following Lord Darzi’s independent investigation into the state of the NHS in England.

The government’s forthcoming 10 year plan, due to be published in spring 2025, is expected to highlight the transition from analogue to digital as one of three key shifts for the NHS.

Meanwhile, in a Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) poll, published in October 2024, found that a third of GPs (30%) report that their work PC or laptop software is not fit for purpose.

The survey, which was responded to by 2,190 RCGP members between May and June 2024, also identified problems with GPs’ hardware, wifi, telephony systems and the ability to exchange information with other NHS services.