A spokesperson from iSoft, one of the two rival bidders short-listed for the e30 million Mater Dei Integrated Health Strategic Partnership, has confirmed that the company’s financial results are expected to be released “imminently” and “should resolve a lot of the nonsensical rumours floating around the UK and Maltese press”.

The company, after running into accounting difficulties earlier this year leading its share price to plunge, has been something of a bête noire in the UK and Maltese press after being subcontracted by both Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) and Accenture in the NHS GBP6 million Connecting for Health (CfH) project, and its bid for the Mater Dei IT system.

With a final decision on the awarding of the Mater Dei contract looming, recent reports that, if awarded the contract, iSoft might have difficulty meeting implementation deadlines were also dismissed.

“Given its international implementation experience, iSoft is confident that its proposal to Malta can be implemented on schedule,” the spokesperson commented, adding that Malta was also being seen as a base for regional expansion.

“iSoft is keen to use Malta as a base for continued international expansion. Malta will be an ideal springboard for iSoft to develop its Mediterranean and Near East dimension and, together with its local and international partners, has plans that go beyond the scope of the Mater Dei project.”

iSoft, which has had a 10-year relationship with Malta after having supplied St Luke’s Hospital with its administrative IT system, has teamed up with American industry heavyweights General Electric, Microsoft, Accenture and HP. Maltese companies involved include Exigy, Health Care Logistics and Jos. Spiteri and Co.

iSoft expressed surprise at the “continuing barrage in the press in Malta. We see one newspaper publishing the same stories week after week with little new content and lack of detailed research.”

An even heavier barrage however, has also been unleashed in the UK after being placed under intense spotlight through its involvement in three of the five clusters of the CfH project – the largest-ever civilian IT project in the world.

The company says changes to payment structures and timings associated with the project have wreaked havoc on its accounts. The situation compelled the company to restate its past accounts and issue a profit warning that led to a significant drop in its share price.

The spokesperson added, “iSoft has been limited in its ability to respond to the press due to confidentiality agreements with customers and the current close period between our fiscal year end and the imminent announcement of financial results.”

iSoft acknowledged there had been challenges for all suppliers involved in the CfH project and that the company was no exception, but added it was pleased that progress in its three regions were ahead of that in regions not using iSoft solutions.

“In England, CSC, with iSoft, is furthest ahead with its implementations. Accenture, with iSoft, is having some issues in its two clusters but again, it should be noted that they are still head and shoulders ahead of the two non-iSoft-fuelled clusters.

“Our products are still the best on the market today. That has not changed and we have retained all our experienced implementation and support personnel. With the largest international customer base of any healthcare vendor, iSoft is the largest healthcare IT company this side of the Atlantic.”

The spokesperson added that with a project as large as CfH, issues will crop up and challenges will arise. He pointed to this week’s report that the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust decided to suspend the implementation of a system by Accenture following a number of delays.

“iSoft has had a good relationship with the Trust for more than 10 years, especially through its Clinicom product, which the Trust uses extensively. The Trust’s use of this product has won Healthcare Effectiveness Awards in the past for its implementation.

“iSoft continues to have an ongoing dialogue with the Trust and is exploring ways in which it can work with the Trust going forward, outside the framework of the UK’s CfH project.

“The important thing is that the issues are addressed and problems resolved in the best manner possible. The probability is that challenges will continue to be encountered in a project of this ambition and scope.

“We expect these eventualities and we shouldn’t be surprised when the scaremongers publish each and every one. Perhaps more focus should be given to the many superb achievements in this project that endure for years, rather than the odd issue delivered in a one-sided manner.”

These include a GBP56 million pan-Irish national Hospital Information System, the largest patient based system undertaken in Ireland and the roll out of a state-based Hospital Information solution to 123 public hospitals in New South Wales, Australia, as part of a substantial contract.

iSoft also refers to a number of major, multimillion pound international contracts delivered this year and hinted that more are in the pipeline.

Numerous hospital clinical and other solutions in several hospitals and labs have been implemented across Germany, the UK, Australia and New Zealand this year. Implementations are underway in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, while this month the Spanish region of Cantabria awarded iSoft a contract for its electronic patient record for a population of 500,000.