Accenture-Oracle bags major PCEHR deal

AN Accenture-led consortium has won the pivotal contract to deliver a national IT infrastructure for the Gillard government's $500 million personally controlled e-health records system.

The team includes Oracle and Orion Health, in a reprisal of the Accenture-led consortium that last year won a $146m contract to deliver Singapore's e-health records program.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon has promised that by July 1 next year, every Australian who wants one will have access to a personal e-health record, leaving a very tight timeframe to complete the project build.

The contract -- originally due to commence last month -- involves the detailed design and construction of the whole system, integration with existing health IT infrastructure across the nation, and testing.

Accenture began hiring for the project last week, seeking staff with experience in Oracle’s service bus integration engine, identity management architecture, business intelligence enterprise suite and Siebel OnDemand customer relationship management.

Orion Health will supply its Concerto medical applications portal, which sits on top of existing information systems and gives doctors a single point of access for patient records, lab results, digital images and service orders.

Accenture has been boosting its health IT credentials for some time, with a particular focus on the public sector.

It is understood there were four serious bidders for the national infrastructure project, with CSC, IBM and Fujitsu unsuccessful.

The Accenture contract is the largest of four tenders called for private-sector partners to work with the National E-Health Transition Authority on delivery of the $500m PCEHR program.

NEHTA has a managing agent role.

SOURCE THEAUSTRALIAN.COM