NHS England Awards Contract
NHS England has awarded a contract valued at £13.3 million to KPMG to assist healthcare trusts that are unlikely to meet the March 2026 deadline for implementing electronic patient records (EPR).
Details of the Contract
- The contract was announced in a notice published on 9 May 2025.
- KPMG will establish a rapid response intervention service, referred to as a “tiger teams” service.
- This service aims to help providers achieve a minimum level of digital capability and implement EPRs effectively.
Targeted Trusts
The focus will be on NHS secondary trusts that have indicated they may miss the 2026 EPR target. These include:
- Blackpool Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust
- Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals FT
- Royal Orthopaedic Hospital FT
- Sherwood Forest Hospitals FT
- Stockport FT
- University Hospitals Liverpool Group
- University Hospitals Sussex FT
Contract Duration
The contract will commence on 1 April 2025 and conclude on 31 March 2026. This follows a prior notice published in October 2024 that highlighted the complexities involved in EPR implementation.
Challenges in EPR Implementation
The contract notice emphasized the difficulties trusts face in securing skilled short-term resources for EPR delivery. It stated:
- There is often a need for specific, time-bound skill sets for successful EPR implementation.
- Trusts are struggling to find quality, skilled resources from both recruitment and contingent labor markets.
Role of Tiger Teams
The tiger teams will provide a time-limited service to assist trusts where previous efforts have not succeeded. This initiative is part of the £1.9 billion frontline digitization program aimed at ensuring all trusts achieve a minimum level of digital capability by the March 2026 deadline.
Current EPR Landscape
As of July 2023, Vin Diwakar, the national director of transformation at NHS England, stated that all trusts are on track to have an EPR in place by the deadline. A recent report from Future Health Intelligence indicated that:
- 94% of NHS acute trusts in England currently have an EPR.
- 97% are expected to have one implemented by March 2026.
Previous Contracts with KPMG
KPMG previously secured an £8.5 million contract with NHS England in April 2024 to promote the adoption of the federated data platform (FDP) and provide technical support until 17 March 2026.