ScriptSwitch

ScriptSwitch Limited

Company type	Private
Industry	Software
Founded	2003 (2003)
Founder	Kelvin Acford and University of Warwick students
Defunct	2009 (2009)
Fate	Acquired by UnitedHealth UK
Headquarters	Coventry , United Kingdom
Area served	United Kingdom, NHS primary care bodies
Products	ScriptSwitch (real-time decision support system)
Parent	UnitedHealth UK (from 2009)
Website	www.optum.co.uk

ScriptSwitch Limited was a software firm based in the United Kingdom that created a real-time decision support system tailored for General Practitioner (GP) clinics. Its main offering, ScriptSwitch, was predominantly marketed to NHS primary care bodies, delivering GPs customized prescribing guidance, including alerts on patient safety and suggestions for medication switches. By April 2010, the solution had been implemented in more than 4,400 GP surgeries within 116 NHS Primary Care Organisations, catering to 27 million patients and reportedly generating annual savings exceeding £20 million for the NHS.

History

ScriptSwitch Limited began in 2000 as a collaboration between Kelvin Acford, a retail pharmacist, and students from the University of Warwick aiming to create a decision support application for GPs. Following prototype development and team growth, the founders established AKM Software Limited in 2001 and introduced their initial commercial product in early 2003. To facilitate external investment and expand their operations, ScriptSwitch Limited was formed in mid-2003 by acquiring AKM’s assets.

The company obtained its inaugural venture capital backing from MidVen in 2003. In early 2006, ownership transferred to ISIS Equity Partners. Subsequently, in 2009, UnitedHealth UK—a subsidiary of the American healthcare conglomerate UnitedHealth Group—purchased ScriptSwitch Limited for an estimated £50 million.

Awards

In 2009, ScriptSwitch Limited was honored with the Queen's Awards for Enterprise in the Innovation category.

External links

• [1] Optum UK - Official website.