The health service has awarded a major contract to a specialist provider which, over the coming months, will support research and development teams in better adopting UCD principles and practices
NHS England has put in place a multimillion-pound contract to support the creation and implementation of digital services that are better designed around the needs of patients.
On 9 December the central health service organisation entered into an initial two-year agreement with tech consultancy Hippo Digital. The “product and platforms – digital user-centred design” deal, which can be extended by a optional six months, is valued at £26.5m, according to a newly released contract notice.
The commercial document adds that the engagement will cover “the discovery and delivery of products, platforms and services based on user need”.
The deal will support the work of NHS England’s “service design, content strategy, and user research” teams, the notice says.
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The supplier will be expected to provide “experience and expertise [to] deploy across… discovery, development, and delivery responsibilities” of the health service’s digital units.
The agreement is also hoped to enable NHS England “to strengthen its own in-house capability” in the area of user-centred design.
Developing services from the starting point of users’ needs and wishes is a cornerstone of agile practices. Other public bodies looking to boost their credentials in this area include the Home Office, which recently signed a potential £14m-plus deal to access user-centred design expertise.
“User-centred design at the Home Office is about designing our products and services in collaboration with the people who will use them,” according to the department’s careers site. “We aim to create simple, clear and joined-up user experiences that help people achieve their goals.”
