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Dragon Medical 1 Licences

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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19 Aug 2026 at 10:27

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust procured Dragon Medical 1 licences as a specialist medical voice-recognition and automated transcription service. The requirement supports pathology dissection and reporting workflows, using recognition trained for medical and pathology vocabulary rather than standard general-purpose speech recognition. Its purpose is to improve efficient, streamlined reporting and reduce transcription errors that could create patient-safety risks. The service is for the Trust’s pathology operations in London. The procurement is categorised as a service, with the technical classification describing licence management software development services. The requirement relates to the North West London Pathology laboratory information management system (NWLP LIMS), within which the selected supplier’s solution is already integrated.

The procurement is complete and has been awarded through a direct award. Freedom of Speech Limited was selected because it was identified as the only supplier already integrated with the NWLP LIMS. The award covers one lot and is suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises. The awarded value is £210,600 excluding VAT, or £252,720 including VAT, and the contract period runs from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2029. The procurement is above the relevant threshold. A contract signature milestone was scheduled for 25 August 2026. The award is recorded against Dragon Medical 1 licences, with the evaluation route based on single-supplier technical reasons rather than a competitive tender.

This award demonstrates demand from an NHS pathology service for specialised speech-recognition licences that work with medical and pathology terminology and support safe clinical reporting. A credible future competitor would need a product capable of accurate automated transcription in dissection and reporting environments, alongside demonstrable understanding of the consequences of transcription errors for patient safety. Integration with the relevant laboratory information management system is central: suppliers would need the technical capability to connect with NWLP LIMS or a clear route to achieving equivalent integration. The incumbent’s existing integration was decisive, so interoperability, implementation capability and reliable licence management would be important differentiators when this requirement is next tested.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Dragon Medical 1 Licences

Notice Description

Automated transcription is an important part of an efficient and streamlined workflow in dissection and reporting. The voice recognition is not standard voice recognition, it is specialised to medical vocabulary but also specifically to Pathology vocabulary. This is a critical patient safety consideration as transcription errors could lead to incorrect reports and subsequent patient harm.

Procurement Information

Freedom of Speech is the only supplier already integrated within the NWLP LIMS

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06e734
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078834-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

72212218 - License management software development services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£210,600 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
19 Aug 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
19 Aug 20261 weeks ago
Contract Period
1 Sep 2026 - 31 Aug 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
W2 1NY
Postcode Area
West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
Hyde Park
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

FREEDOM OF SPEECH LIMITED

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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