A south London acute trust has ended a year-long legal challenge brought by a radiology supplier after agreeing to a confidential settlement, HSJ reports.
Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals Trust has been contesting a legal claim by Medica Reporting Ltd, its teleradiology supplier, for more than a year since the firm brought its challenge to the High Court in January 2025.
The company challenged the trust for breaching procurement regulations after it had told Medica in October 2024 that a “lucrative proposal has been received from another provider which [the trust] have decided to pursue” and so would not be extending its contract.
Medica said this meant the trust had breached several of the obligations set out in the procurement regulations, including one to treat Medica and another supplier equally.
The company’s claim, filed with the court in March last year, said the trust had told the firm: “We need to address the issues you have raised.” But, Medica said, since November “the trust has failed to engage with the claimant and provided no response to the claimant’s questions and concerns”.
The settlement was signed on 1 April and came before the trust filed its defence papers in response to Medica’s initial claim, having had the deadline to do so extended several times by the court.
Date: 28 April