Deloitte to build NSS on Salesforce tech

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eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

Deloitte has been awarded the contract to build the IT system for the National Bowel Screening Programme.

As previously reported in eHealthNews.nz the National Screening Solution is based on Salesforce technology and is being built in conjunction with Deloitte’s Health Connect accelerator.

Deloitte was contracted last June for the initial planning and design phase of the IT system to support the new screening programme, with work initially expected to be completed in late July 2018. However, the timeline was delayed to ensure the solution could adapt to support other health services in the future.

The NSS will provide the technology to run the NBSP as district health boards progressively join and start bowel screening.

Seven of the country’s 20 DHBs are offering free bowel screening to eligible 60–74-year-olds.

Start dates for some of the remaining 13 DHBs were delayed because of the extra time it took to develop the new IT system and the rest are now expected to join the national programme by the end of 2021.

The NSS is required to complete the roll-out because the current interim IT solution that was initially designed to support the bowel screening pilot in Waitemata DHB could not be expanded to support the national population of eligible screening participants.

The NSS will initially run alongside the interim IT solution currently being used by the DHBs already participating in the programme, before ultimately replacing it.

MoH Deputy director-general population health and prevention Deborah Woodley says the new platform will initially support the NBSP but has the capability to support other screening programmes in future, subject to separate approval and funding decisions.

“The Ministry views the NSS as a long-term strategic asset which it hopes overtime will support multiple screening programmes,” she says.

Woodley says the partnership with Deloitte has already delivered the blueprint for the design and the Ministry is excited to be moving to the build phase.

“This is an important IT system that will enable the nationwide roll-out of bowel screening. It will manage the participant’s progress through the screening process by ensuring the secure and effective flow of relevant information between the parties involved,” she says.

Thorsten Engel from Deloitte says, “the NSS platform will provide the fundamental capabilities necessary to reach our population where it matters the most and supports the nationwide roll-out of a screening programme that will save lives”.

The NSS was originally advertised as a five-year project with five rights of renewal for two years each when the Ministry called for registrations of interest in May 2017.

Homecare Medical is the national coordination centre for the programme, which includes hosting the 0800 number, sending letters to participants and notifying GPs electronically of all results.

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