GROUPE STERIA

NHS Shared Business Services (SBS) has been awarded new contracts to provide a combination of finance, accounting and payroll BPO services to a further 12 NHS organisations across the country. The contracts, with a combined value of €16.5 million (£13.8 million), will improve the quality and efficiency of services for the 23,000+ NHS professionals working in these administrations.

NHS SBS will be providing a flexible and reliable service specifically designed to meet the changing needs of NHS organisations. By moving to NHS SBS shared services, the new customers will benefit not only from leading edge technology and service excellence, but improved financial control and best practice sharing amongst other NHS organisations.

Leicestershire Partnership Trust is one of the latest groups to have taken this opportunity to move to NHS SBS as their payroll provider. Tony Burnell, Director of People and Transformation at Leicestershire Partnership Trust, says, “NHS SBS have the knowledge and capability to supply a first class payroll system. They understand the complexities of F&A and NHS pay and are able to fully support the needs of our organisation. They have considerable experience in dealing with NHS salary payments and can provide us with a high quality, value for money service. We look forward to working with the new team.”

Jim Vincent, Managing Director of NHS Shared Business Services, says, “These new contracts not only bolster our NHS expertise and reach, but underline our position as a pioneer in public and private collaboration. NHS SBS offers a cutting edge, flexible and secure service, combining best practice and knowledge from across the public and private sectors, and ultimately freeing up funds for patient care. We are pleased to welcome these organisations to the NHS family of shared services organisations.”

Joining Leicestershire Partnership Trust and the 100+ other NHS organisations who already use NHS SBS services (representing 25% of the total NHS organisations) are: London Strategic Health Authority, Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, Christie Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Mary’s Sidcup NHS Trust, Bromley Hospital NHS Trust, Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust, Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust, NHS Direct, Brighton & Hove PCT, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT.

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About Steria: www.steria.comThe leading end-to-end IT services provider in Europe for companies which consider new technologies a vital part of their business strategy, Steria focuses on setting up strategic partnerships with its customers in each of its key markets: the public sector, finance, telecommunications, utilities and transport. Steria offers customers integrated services including consulting in core business processes as well as the development and operation of their information systems. In October 2007, Steria acquired the British firm Xansa.The new group employs over 19,000 staff in 16 countries, including 5,000 in India. On December 31, 2007, Steria revenue amounted to €1.4 billion (€1.9 billion pro forma). The Group, headquartered in Paris, is listed on the Euronext Paris market.

About NHS Shared Business Services: www.sbs.nhs.uk NHS Shared Business Services is a joint venture between the Department of Health and Steria. Since being established in April 2005 it has grown to cover over 100 NHS organisations recognising the benefits and joining its NHS collective. With over 800 people employed and in excess of 4 million transactions processed per annum, it delivers to more than 200,000 users across the Health Service. NHS Shared Business Services’ centres of excellence provide a range of finance, accounting, procurement and payroll services. By using a shared technology platform, its data reporting tools allow its clients to have a clear focus with which to strategically manage and develop their businesses. Freeing up€270 million (£224 million) to be re-invested in frontline services, the back-office group efficiencies that it is providing are invigorating investment for frontline NHS delivery.

Steria Group Press OfficeIsabelle GrangéTel. : +33 1 34 88 64 44e-mail : isabelle.grange@steria.comTBWACorporateBarbara CoumarosTel : +33 1 49 09 26 93e-mail : barbara.coumaros@tbwa-corporate.com

Rebekah LaheyTel. : +33 1 49 09 26 79e-mail : rebekah.lahey@tbwa-corporate.com