A nationwide five year deal negotiated by NHS England will mean all NHS workers will be able to access the full suite of Microsoft 365 workplace productivity apps.

In the past, each local organisation would be responsible for purchasing their own licences for software. The new single national contract aims to save millions.

The new five-year agreement has been awarded to UK company Bytes.

The first national deal in March 2020 made the Microsoft Teams app available to all NHS staff virtual meetings, where meeting in person is not necessary.

John Quinn, Chief Information Officer at NHS England, said:

“As the NHS turns 75, this deal is part of a long history of the health service adapting to make use of the latest and greatest innovations available to deliver more productive and joined up services for patients, and gives us a strong platform to build on for the future.

“This is a further great example of the NHS using our collective buying power to secure market-leading products at a reduced cost for taxpayers, and our contract with Bytes means we can also explore opportunities to introduce new innovative technology over the coming years.”

A suite of Microsoft security solutions includes capabilities around threat protection, data governance and compliance, and will aim tol strengthen the cyber resilience of the NHS.

Clare Barclay, Chief Executive Officer, Microsoft UK, said:

“As the NHS marks its 75th anniversary, Microsoft is delighted to provide technology that will enable clinicians and support staff to focus on what matters most – caring for patients.

“This agreement will ensure that NHS organisations can deliver efficiency, reform ways of working through collaboration tools and build resilience through a modern, secure cloud-based infrastructure.”