NHS Scotland announced that it has purchase a national license for the use of 
Ensemble® from InterSystems for healthcare integration in Scotland. Ensemble is a seamless platform for integration the development of connected applications. The application was purchased based on the contract for the National Patient Management System, taking place between InterSystems and NHS NSS.
By using Ensemble, healthcare services in Scotland will be delivered in a much better way, as described in the Scottish Better Health, Better Care Action Plan and the eHealth Strategy 2008-2011. The application of a common integration platform is going to improve the secure flow of clinical and non-clinical information, aiming to enhance patient safety and clinical outcomes. Ensemble also is going to add in the effective management of costs, for instance, by its standardization and component re-use. Additional advantages will be gained from integrating existing applications and building on prior IT investments.
Ensemble is an integral part of Scotland's Patient Management System, a one that applies InterSystems TrakCare™, a connected healthcare information system. "This incremental program will help Scottish hospitals move towards their vision of a paper-less working environment, streamline patient services, bring about faster diagnosis and treatment and aid the development of a virtual electronic health record." said Robin Wright, Chair of the eHealth Leads Group.
While Head of Architecture and Design for the eHealth Program, Eddie Turnbull, said "The time is right to promote the use of a common integration platform, and Ensemble is well placed to fulfill that role." He added "Ensemble will be at the heart of the Patient Management System, and we can build on that to deliver other objectives such as a Clinical Portal. Integration is key to the Service Oriented Architecture approach that is core to our eHealth Architecture Vision." Paul Grabscheid, VP Strategic Planning, InterSystems, commented "We are delighted that Scotland has chosen Ensemble for this pivotal role in their national eHealth strategy. It provides an opportunity to leverage existing systems and prior NHS investments to enhance the delivery of quality healthcare throughout Scotland."
