BT, one of the world’s leading providers of communications services and solutions on Monday said that it is planning to increase its focus on the rapidly growing health IT market in the Asia Pacific region.

To support this, it is creating an Asia Pacific Health Practice, which will co-ordinate all BT’s health activities in the region. The Health Practice will include experts in clinical design assurance, clinical safety management, technical architecture and major programme practice, providing a strong capability for local delivery.

More than 130 BT people will be working solely on health in the region by the end of the year. The company expects the numbers to increase as its health business expands.

Globally, the health IT market is undergoing a transformation driven by ageing populations, the increasing burden from chronic diseases and the adoption of costlier medical and drug innovations. In particular, the health IT market in Asia Pacific is experiencing a period of rapid growth. BT estimates that its current addressable market in healthcare in the region is GBP1.3Bn in 2012/13, growing to GBP1.6Bn by 2014/15.

With its networked communications heritage and strong health experience, BT is well placed to deliver the end-to-end ICT infrastructure requirements for healthcare customers in the region. It has already won a range of health IT business across Asia Pacific, including complex and large infrastructure contracts for new build hospitals, clinical safety management consultancy and electronic health records work.

BT is looking to leverage its health expertise in delivering major, complex programmes in other geographies to help organisations transform the way they deliver care services and take them through a journey of clinical transformation. It will continue to offer a range of products and services, including core capabilities in infrastructure management, security, unified communications and mobility, drawing on the expertise of BT Advise, which brings together experts who deliver consulting, systems integration and managed services. With a technology roadmap developed by BT Advise, customers can progress to a truly integrated healthcare system.

Key large, complex infrastructure contracts for new build hospitals have already been won by BT in the region. In Australia, last year it announced it had been selected by Serco, the international services company, to be its IT partner on the new Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth. It is installing and managing the hospital’s communications infrastructure and running a range of IT services aimed at helping it become one of the most technologically advanced hospitals in the world.

Earlier this year the company was selected by the Farrer Park Company to be their IT partner for Connexion, Singapore’s first integrated healthcare and hospitality complex. As well as providing a comprehensive range of programme management and systems integration services, BT will design, build and support the entire facility’s technology and applications architecture, bringing together multiple business applications, security solutions and hospitality management and healthcare information systems.

Also in the region, BT has used its clinical safety management experience and portfolio to support the National E-Health Transition Authority in Australia develop its own capability. It has also recently been awarded an additional clinical management consultancy and training contract with the Northern Territory of Australia. In Singapore, BT is creating a central data repository for three of the country’s health clusters to bring together patient diagnosis information, held in multiple disparate systems, into one solution. 

Kevin Taylor, President, BT Asia Pacific, said: “BT has set out its intention to be a leader in networked IT services in the region and the health IT sector is key to us achieving this goal.

“We have made a great start and our customer-led investments have already begun to pay dividends with BT winning some key contracts. Today’s announcement reaffirms our commitment to the region and we will continue to differentiate ourselves through providing innovative and bespoke solutions.” 

Huw Owen, President, Global Health, BT Global Services, said: “We believe BT can play a significant role in helping drive the health IT market forward in the region. We have a long and proven track record in the UK and internationally and are looking to use this experience to win further new business to help our customers deal with the challenges they face.

“Through the investments we are making to build our Health Practice, our focus on offering our healthcare customers