ASP.L Regulatory News (ASP)

5 May 2006 07:00

Ascribe plc05 May 2006 Ascribe plc ("Ascribe" or "the Group") Update on new contract wins Bolton, UK (May 4th) Ascribe (AIM:ASP), the health IT Group, is pleased toannounce a number of new business orders since the beginning of 2006, with atotal value of approximately £1.1 million. Historically 80% of the Group'sturnover has been derived from sales to existing customers - recurringmaintenance contracts (60%) and follow-on capital sales (20%). Growth in newbusiness is a key focus of the Group and the Board is delighted to reportAscribe's success in winning new business by offering products that meetclinicians' changing requirements. The new orders will be delivered over thecoming months and, in turn, generate additional recurring maintenance revenuefor the business in future years. Significant business wins in this period include a sole-supplier contract toprovide IT solutions to Assura Medical Services Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiaryof the Medical Property Investment Fund (MPIF). The IT solutions will be used inAssura's state-of-the-art primary care 'Super Surgeries'. The first 'SuperSurgery' is planned to open in Liverpool this summer with three other sitesacross the UK following thereafter. Ascribe has developed a flexible and fullyintegrated web-based healthcare IT solution that will enable Assura to managethe clinical and administrative requirements of modern National primary careservices. Empowering both clinicians and patients with relevant and accuratehealthcare information is core to the solution currently being delivered. In addition, fourteen major departmental systems have 'Gone-Live' since thebeginning of the year at new customer sites: six sites for Hospital Pharmacyproducts and eight sites for our Accident & Emergency solutions. Ascribe's Pharmacy Division has won several new health IT contracts, includingorders received for: • A three ward Ascribe Medicines Management pilot at NHS Tayside Acute Services Division • Medicines Management software at County Durham & Darlington Acute Hospitals • Substance Misuse Prescribing software from Swanswell Charitable Trust • A multi-site pharmacy order for a group of private clinics Our Primary and Unscheduled Care Division has also won several new contractsincluding the sale of Accident & Emergency systems to: • Royal Sussex County, Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital & Hayward's Heath Hospital (three sites - Brighton and Sussex University Hospital NHS Trust) • Wrexham Maelor Hospital (North East Wales NHS Trust) • Southport & Ormskirk NHS Trust (two sites) • Rochdale Infirmary (Pennine Acute Hospitals) • King George Hospital, Upney Lane Minor Injuries Unit, Oldchurch Hospital, Harold Wood Minor Injuries Unit (four sites - Barking, Havering & Redbridge NHS Trust) • Lagan Valley Hospital & Downshire Hospital (two sites - Down & Lisburn Health & Social Services Trust) in Northern Ireland Ascribe's Mental Health and Community Care division has continued to increaselicense sales to its existing user base, product updates were sent out onschedule to all customers in March. Ascribe continues to support Connecting forHealth's Choose & Book initiative by upgrading its Mental Health software incompliance with national guidelines. Ascribe has received an order to install its Mental Health solution into a UKMental Health NHS Trust as part of a national six-month pilot programme forPayment By Results. These contracts yield recurring maintenance income for a minimum period ofbetween one and seven years, this being the length of the initial contract andillustrates the clear visibility of future earnings. Trading across the entire group remains strong and the Directors are confidentthat the company continues to trade in line with expectations. Stephen Critchlow, Executive Chairman of Ascribe, said: "We are pleased to beable to report our continued success with many new customers ordering and 'goinglive' across the Group. Our solutions continue to win new business and find newapplications to deliver health-improving systems to patients and care providers." The interim results for the period to 31 December 2005 were announced on 15March 2006. A copy of this report is available upon application to the companyor can be downloaded from our website: www.ascribe.com - Ends - For further information: Stephen Critchlow, Executive ChairmanTel: +44 (0) 161 280 8080Email: stephen.critchlow@ascribe.com Jeremy Lee, Finance DirectorTel: +44 (0) 161 280 8080Email: jeremy.lee@ascribe.com Ginny Pulbrook / Justin Griffiths, Citigate Dewe RogersonTel: +44 (0) 20 7638 9571 Notes to Editors: About Ascribe plcAscribe plc is a leading healthcare company that develops and markets softwaresolutions supporting patient, clinical and business processes to theinternational healthcare market. The Group provides solutions to Emergency andMinor Injuries units, Mental Health and Social Care units, Hospitals requiringpatient administration systems (PAS) and medical equipment management, Hospitaland Retail Pharmacies, and General Practice surgeries. Ascribe plc was floated on AIM in 2004, and currently employs 170 personnelthough its five operating companies in the UK, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Australiaand New Zealand. For more information, please visit http://www.ascribe.com (c) Ascribe 2006. All rights reserved. Ascribe is a registered trademark ofAscribe plc. All other trademarks remain the property of their respectivecompanies and rights holders. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange