Supplier sought for two-year project to provide health-service workers and employers with digital platform

NHS workers will be able to manage their pension online following the conclusion of a two-year digital-transformation project.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) said that the members of the NHS pension scheme and their employers currently “have limited digital capability to actively manage pensions information”. 

Over the next two years, the organisation plans to build a range of online services giving users the option of digitally performing tasks such as applying for their pension, checking personal information and balance statements, and accessing estimates and forecasts.

The digital platform should also give NHS employers the ability to manage new starters and leavers – including redundancies and retirements on the grounds of ill health – process refunds, and access contribution information. 

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The transformation programme, which is now in beta stage, already has “a number of in-flight pension digital-service developments”. These are being run by a team comprised of about 25% NHSBSA staff, with the remaining 75% provided by Valtech, a digital agency currently under contract until July 2018 “for specific outcome-based service deliveries”.

NHSBSA is now seeking to appoint another supplier to oversee the successful completion of work already in progress and the delivery of services yet to be created.

“The successful supplier will be required to transition the development of these in-flight service developments as well as undertake the full lifecycle of new service developments,” NHSBSA said.

The winning bidder will be awarded a two-year contract worth as much as £2m a year. Work will take place at the NHSBSA’s offices in Newcastle upon Tyne and Fleetwood, as well as at the offices of the chosen supplier.

NHSBSA added: “The NHS pension scheme is undergoing a significant period of change and the objective of this programme is to continue development of a digital channel for interactions – between the NHS pension scheme and its members, and between the NHS pension scheme and employers – that will transform service offerings, and also establish new service offerings in line with the Government Digital Service Standards and Technology Code of Practice.”

Bids for the project are open until Tuesday 5 June, with shortlisted suppliers required to follow up with a presentation on 13 June. A contract will then be awarded on 7 July, or shortly thereafter. Up to three suppliers will be evaluated.