- Written by Jenny Critchfield - Bid Director
- Connect with Jenny on LinkedIn
Opus is on the NHS Better Purchasing Framework for Advanced Telephony
Opus has been approved by the NHS Better Purchasing Framework as an accredited provider of advanced cloud-based telephone solutions for GP practices.
What is the Better Purchasing Framework?
The Better Purchasing Framework, overseen by the NHS England National Commercial and Procurement Hub, is a comprehensive resource for procuring advanced cloud-based telephony systems within the healthcare sector.
It enables commissioners to secure state-of-the-art cloud-based telephone systems from an approved list of providers endorsed by the Better Purchasing Framework. These suppliers undergo rigorous early assurance processes, ensuring their alignment with stringent requirements.
Approved suppliers commit to NHS England’s Digital Care Services Catalogue agreement and adhere to the NHS terms and conditions for practice contracts, capping the contract term at a maximum of 3 years.
The framework offers comprehensive support to commissioners, extending beyond simple procurement facilitation. From initial requirement identification and price classification to negotiation of exit fees, contract drafting, and supplier issue resolution, the framework provides end-to-end assistance. Crucially, these services are fully funded by NHS England, offering invaluable support to general practices, primary care networks, and integrated care boards at no cost.
Tailored specifically to meet the needs of GP surgeries, primary care networks, and integrated care systems, the framework delivers expert support throughout the procurement process. It enables NHS professionals responsible for acquiring new cloud-hosted telephony systems for primary care to access the necessary resources and guidance.
Opus are an industry-leading provider of cloud-based telephony for NHS trusts and GP practices
Telephony in GP practices plays a crucial role in delivering services to patients, impacting their experience and practice efficiency, as well as contributing to business continuity, resilience, and patient safety. However, many GP practice telephone systems have lagged behind clinical systems in terms of digital innovation, leading to limitations in capacity and flexibility, especially during peak demands and the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the impending ISDN and PSTN switch off by 2025, there’s a need for practices to transition to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), cloud-hosted telephony systems. These systems offer advantages such as digital data transport over the internet, increased efficiency, reliability, resilience, flexibility, and security.
Opus works with numerous NHS trusts and GP practices throughout the UK, delivering tailored solutions to meet their telephony and broader communication needs. We partner with market-leading telephony vendors including Gamma, 8×8, Mitel, Cirrus and Five9 enabling us to recommend the best-suited telephony solution for your organisation.
