UK.gov hikes health AI tender by 400% – and hundreds of millions – after a chat with suppliers

The UK government has upped the maximum value of a health service AI framework agreement by £600 million following a conversation with tech suppliers. The National Health Service's Shared Business Services (NHS SBS), a purchasing quango under the Department for Health and Social Care, recently launched a competition for places on a framework for NHS AI and robotics worth a maximum of £750 million excluding tax. Back in January 2025, the same procurement was priced at a maximum of £150 million, e