Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board
Aspen House, Stephenson Road, Severalls Business Park
Colchester
CO4 9QR
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKH3 - Essex
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://suffolkandnortheastessex.icb.nhs.uk/
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Health
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
PRIME Service to General Practice across Suffolk and North East Essex
Reference number
ACE-0715-2023
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 79500000 - Office-support services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board has made a decision to award a contract to GP Primary Choice Ltd , for the provision of a PRIME Service to General Practice across Suffolk and North East Essex.
The contract commences on 1st April 2024, expiring on 31st March 2025.
A voluntary ex ante transparency notice relating to this matter was published on 28th December 2023.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £119,453.06
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH14 - Suffolk
Main site or place of performance
Suffolk and North East Essex
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex (SNEE) Integrated Care Board (ICB) has awarded a contract to contract to GP Primary Choice Ltd , for the provision of a PRIME Service to General Practice across Suffolk and North East Essex.
The contract commences on 1st April 2024, expiring on 31st March 2025.
A voluntary ex ante transparency notice relating to this matter was published on 28th December 2023 (Notice reference: 2023/S 000-037971), the standstill for which expired midnight on 8th January 2023.
The incumbent provider (GP Primary Choice Ltd) has successfully delivered this service for the past 12 months and has the knowledge, expertise and experience from close working partnerships with General Practice partners that is difficult to develop in a short space of time from any other provider.
This service retains in depth knowledge of the Practices it serves and embedded and trusted relationships with multiple partners, particularly in General Practice teams such as Practice Managers and Practice partners.. The current service provider has become known with local providers and has extremely positive feedback from all partners, which has taken considerable time and effort to obtain. Introducing a new provider risks disrupting these vital links, which would set back the service offer and increase the risks faced by General Practice.
It is well known that mistrust of services within this sector is apparent, hence relationship building has been a key requirement of this service throughout the course of the original pilot. GPPC has worked to develop relationships which support and enable access to key Practice data that assists in the identification and delivery of key quality improvement opportunities within Practices for the benefit of both the Practice and the population. It is believed that introducing a different organisation with different branding to deliver this service would significantly impact the ability to effectively engage with General Practice, due to the need to establish trust with individuals.
The service has experienced and trained staff in place that have worked locally within General Practice and developed that trust with General Practice teams which can flex to the needs of the Practices to maintain best practice throughout the length of the contract.
The ICB deem that changing providers at a time where General Practice are under increasing pressure and facing ever increasing challenges, would have an adverse impact on service delivery for the population that it serves. The ICB is therefore seeking to re-commission the current provider to continue its service delivery for the short duration of the 12 month contract to provide stability in a fragile environment.
The ICB will award the contract utilising the NHS terms and conditions of goods and non-clinical services.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 100
Price - Weighting: 0
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations
Explanation:
The incumbent provider (GP Primary Choice Ltd) has successfully delivered this service for the past 12 months and has the knowledge, expertise and experience from close working partnerships with General Practice partners that is difficult to develop in a short space of time from any other provider.
This service retains in depth knowledge of the Practices it serves and embedded and trusted relationships with multiple partners, particularly in General Practice teams such as Practice Managers and Practice partners.. The current service provider has become known with local providers and has extremely positive feedback from all partners, which has taken considerable time and effort to obtain. Introducing a new provider risks disrupting these vital links, which would set back the service offer and increase the risks faced by General Practice.
It is well known that mistrust of services within this sector is apparent, hence relationship building has been a key requirement of this service throughout the course of the original pilot. GPPC has worked to develop relationships which support and enable access to key Practice data that assists in the identification and delivery of key quality improvement opportunities within Practices for the benefit of both the Practice and the population. It is believed that introducing a different organisation with different branding to deliver this service would significantly impact the ability to effectively engage with General Practice, due to the need to establish trust with individuals.
The service has experienced and trained staff in place that have worked locally within General Practice and developed that trust with General Practice teams which can flex to the needs of the Practices to maintain best practice throughout the length of the contract.
The ICB deem that changing providers at a time where General Practice are under increasing pressure and facing ever increasing challenges, would have an adverse impact on service delivery for the population that it serves. The ICB is therefore seeking to re-commission the current provider to continue its service delivery for the short duration of the 12 month contract to provide stability in a fragile environment.
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number: 2023/S 000-037971
Section five. Award of contract
Title
PRIME Service to General Practice across Suffolk and North East Essex
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
21 December 2023
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
GP Primary Choice Ltd
Unit 1, Block C, University of Essex Knowledge Gateway, Parkside Office Village, Nesfield Road
Colchester
CO4 3ZL
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKH3 - Essex
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot: £119,453.06
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
High Court of Justice of England and Wales
Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board
Aspen House, Stephenson Road, Severalls Business Park
Colchester
CO4 9QR
Country
United Kingdom