To help you start your plan:
- speak to your current supplier and ask for a copy of your contract if you don’t already have a copy
- check your contract expiry dates – remember, if you don’t act in time, you may be automatically tied into a lengthy contract extension
- review the list of things to do below
- engage with your ICB as early as possible
- contact the Hub for support and advice
The Hub are on hand to support you in understanding what is required next, and to help you in planning your procurement, and taking your next steps.
When planning their procurement, practices should undertake a discovery exercise to understand
What is currently in place, and where
- understand existing practice telephony provision for example local PBX based, local VOIP
- all existing extensions, external lines and numbers, including what they are used for
- what volumes of calls are existing numbers meeting, and what numbers are unused
- existing sources of stored patient identifiable information such as call recordings or call logs, considering if this data needs to be retained
- single purpose or dedicated lines
- any third-party products have been integrated with your current telephony solution
- branch sites and other locations where access to telephony might be required
- If the current system is shared with or used by any other parties
- current mobile telephony usage and contracts
- how many staff currently work from home or remotely
- where fixed handsets are needed and where software based phone applications (softphone) is installed on a device such as a PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone
- assess existing connections and available bandwidth to determine suitability to be used by VOIP, requesting support from the ICB as necessary
- determine with the ICB how local IT infrastructure (e.g. networks) may be accessed and utilised
Future change
- expected organisational and service model development expected locally in the future
Existing contracts
- examine existing contract and opportunities and exit terms including notice periods and costs
Contact us
To find out more about the Better Purchasing Framework for Advanced Cloud-based Telephony, and the wider work of the Advanced Cloud-based Telephony programme contact the NHS England National Commercial and Procurement hub team.
Last edited: 18 October 2023 8:33 am