Siemens signs 13-year imaging support contract with Southampton trust

Published: 12-Mar-2013

Siemens Healthcare to manage imaging infrastructure support service partnership for University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust


University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS) has selected Siemens Healthcare to manage a 13-year imaging infrastructure support service (IISS) partnership.

The link-up is part of the trust’s long-term commitment to the imaging department and is expected to add additional capacity, allowing the trust to improve throughput and diagnose and treat increasing numbers of patients.

Under the contract 138 systems will be delivered including a range of CT, MRI, angiography, digital radiography X-ray, nuclear medicine, ultrasound and breast imaging systems.

Siemens Healthcare will manage the maintenance, provision, replacement and training associated with imaging equipment for the life of the contract, enabling clinicians to concentrate on patient care. It will also be responsible for all build works related to the installation of medical imaging equipment.

The partnership allows the trust the freedom to select the most advanced and appropriate equipment on the market at the time of replacement to meet patient needs, irrespective of manufacturer. This in turn will expand the opportunities open to us

The long-term contract ensures the department can adapt to evolving medical technology, while an integrated approach to investment provides a predetermined annual payment profile for financial certainty.

“In the current financial climate, it was important to rigorously select an assured, effective and sustainable service that would support the trust in delivering excellent healthcare,” said Aaron Hutchison, IISS project lead and programme manager at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.

“We wanted more than a traditional MES-type contract; we wanted to be covered for the replacement of technology to agreed standards, maintenance, training and associated requisite works. The contract has built-in flexibility and scalability, allowing it to evolve with our requirements and ensuring we can keep pace with the technological landscape.”

Dr Ivan Brown, consultant cardiothoracic radiologist and IISS clinical lead, added: “The partnership allows the trust the freedom to select the most advanced and appropriate equipment on the market at the time of replacement to meet patient needs, irrespective of manufacturer. This in turn will expand the opportunities open to us, such as conducting R&D studies, providing image-guided therapeutic procedures and expanding patient throughput, while increasing patient access to imaging and maintaining and improving service and image quality.”

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