Vangent to run system for GP payments

The Department of Health (DH) has appointed IT and business outsourcing firm Vangent to run the new Calculating Quality Reporting Service (CQRS), formerly known as the GP Payments Calculation Service (GPPCS). The website for NHS Connecting for Health says the company was made preferred bidder at the beginning of the month, but a spokeswoman told GGC the contract has been signed and the new service is scheduled to go live in April 2012. The CQRS is to replace the Quality Management Analysis System (QMAS) in calculating payments due to GPs. It is designed to support the transition to clinical commissioning groups commissioning healthcare services. A tender document published in October said the contract, due to run six to nine years, would be worth at least £20m. Vangent has traditionally been active in providing outsourced services for local government, but earlier this year was acquired by US company General Dynamics, since when it has been making a push into the healthcare market. This article is published by Guardian Professional. For weekly updates of news, debate and best practice on public sector IT, join the Government Computing Network here.