Right Decision Service (RDS) - Contract Modification (Extension of Term) under Regulation 72

This Voluntary Ex‑Ante Transparency (VEAT) Notice gives advance public notice that Healthcare Improvement Scotland intends to modify its existing call‑off contract for the Right Decision Service (RDS) solely to extend the contract term beyond the current expiry of 13 March 2026.

The modification is required because confirmation of guaranteed funding for the continued delivery of RDS has only recently been secured. It is therefore not feasible to identify and implement an alternative route to market without risking disruption to this nationally used clinical decision support platform.

A contract extension is therefore necessary to ensure continuity while HIS completes the next steps in establishing the appropriate procurement route. Healthcare Improvement Scotland is commissioning an independent review of Right Decision Service technology which will inform the future procurement approach.

The Right Decision Service (RDS) is a nationally deployed clinical decision support platform supporting a wide range of clinical and operational functions across NHS Scotland. The service is technically complex and closely integrated with multiple national systems, and therefore requires uninterrupted continuity. Healthcare Improvement Scotland intends to modify the existing RDS contract under Regulation 72 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. This modification consists solely of an extension to the contract term.

The need for modification has arisen due to recent confirmation of guaranteed funding, the timing of which could not have been foreseen at the time the original contract was awarded. This confirmation has resulted in a compressed timeframe between funding certainty and the current contract expiry date. As a consequence, it is not feasible to prepare and implement an alternative procurement route, and any associated transition, without creating a material risk of disruption to a critical clinical decision support service. The extension is proportionate and necessary to maintain service continuity while the authority prepares an appropriate procurement route.

Extension structure:

· Initial extension: 14 March 2026 to 13 March 2027

· Options: One 12-month extension to a maximum of 13 March 2028, applied only if required to maintain continuity while HIS determines and prepares the appropriate procurement route under the Regulations. Additional information: A standstill period of 10 calendar days will be observed before the modification is entered into.