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The bidding process adopted a weighting system in scoring potential bids. The highest weighting was given to the bidders capacity to deliver the clinical and business requirements, as outlined in the tender. Cost was the second highest weighted scoring factor. The selected preferred bidder was not the lowest cost tender but represented good value for money and was affordable for all five health boards. Intersystem, the preferred supplier, were in procurement terms the most economically advantageous tender

The corporate headquarters of Intersystems is in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. It does not have branches in Scotland but is the existing patient management system supplier for the second largest health board in Scotland, NHS Lothian. Intersystems are currently seeking office accommodation in Scotland to support the new contract.

No loss of jobs is anticipated as a result of awarding this contract.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28999 on 25 November 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The patient management system advert placed on the 11 April 2009, attracted 73 notes of interest. Each of these potential contractors (bidders) was sent a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ), 23 responded to the questionnaire, of which nine were short-listed. All potential contractors ruled out were offered debriefing, of which five took up the offer of a meeting. Seven of the nine bidders responded to the specification document offering 10 potential solutions. After scoring the responses and having initial presentations in each area: functional, technical and commercial, four solutions from three bidders were short-listed to be taken forward in 2009.

Perot (Oasis),

Intersystem (TrakCare),

Atos Origin (Oasis),

Atos Origin(System C).

The Atos Origin (Oasis bid) was then dropped by that bidder in June 2009. Intersystem have been selected as the preferred supplier.

Support to local carers'' services is a matter for local authorities and health boards to determine on the basis of their local priorities.

Local authorities'' net revenue expenditure on support for carers, including respite care, in 2007-08 (latest figures available) was £117.034 million, compared with £100 million in 2006-07.

The Scottish Government has provided area health boards and the Scottish Ambulance Service with £9 million between 2008-11 to develop and implement Carer Information Strategies. We have provided local authorities with over £4 million as part of the local government settlement to provide an extra 10,000 respite weeks. We have provided over £400,000 to fund three Young Carer Festivals, which provide young carers from all over Scotland with a break from caring. We are funding three young carer initiatives this year through a £200,000 grant to a national carer organisation. We have funded other initiatives including three carer training pilots. The Scottish Government supports national carers organisations through grants made under section 10 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968. Over the next three years we are committed to awards totalling nearly £100,000 to five organisations.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28892 on 25 November 2009, which refers to the broadening out of our commitment to support pregnant women. The aim of the broader commitment is to allow health boards to put in place strategic measures to reach a much wider audience of women, and then deliver those through for example: interventions by health professionals related to nutrition, including breastfeeding and weaning; maternity units achieving Baby Friendly Initiative status, ensuring that everyone who is entitled to claim for Healthy Start vouchers which can be exchanged for fruit, vegetables, fresh milk or infant formula at registered retailers do so, and ensuring that all sectors with a contribution to make in this area, e.g. community groups, pre school and voluntary sector are fully involved.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Local authorities provided a total of 174,016 respite weeks in 2007-08. This is the baseline figure against which progress is being monitored.

In June 2008, we published Healthy Eating Active Living: An action plan to improve diet, increase physical activity and tackle obesity. This included a commitment to broaden out the pledge to provide free fruit to pregnant women and pre-school children using the model of market-led pregnancy cards from the major supermarkets, to encompass maternal and infant nutrition generally and not limited to specific models.

In September 2008, I announced support of £19 million of new money available to NHS health boards over the period 2008-11 to improve the nutrition of women of childbearing age, pregnant women and children under five in disadvantaged areas. The broad criteria within which NHS boards have been asked to work include increasing uptake of the healthy start scheme, to ensure that everyone who is eligible to claim vouchers to exchange for fresh fruit, vegetables, milk and infant formula does so; supporting work on increasing breastfeeding rates and investing in training for health professionals. Years one and two of that funding have already been allocated to NHS boards. Details of the allocation were outlined in CEL 36 (2008) Nutrition of women of childbearing age, pregnant women and children under five in disadvantaged areas, which can be found at:

http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/CEL2008_36.pdf.

The Scottish Government receives, and will continue to receive for 2009-10 and 2010-11, the data by local authority on the number of respite weeks provided for all age groups and by each category of overnight and daytime respite weeks. This is in relation to the concordat commitment of providing an additional 10,000 respite weeks. Both the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) are monitoring the respite weeks provision.

The patient management system procurement has been very successful, and the prices achieved are substantially lower than indicated in the outline business case and the indicative prices provided during evaluation. The costs are (a) £20 million capital and (b) £24 million revenue over the 10 year contract.