Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS SUFFOLK AND NORTH EAST ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD
Endeavour House, Russell Road
Ipswich
IP12BX
Contact
Jane Garnett
Telephone
+44 1473770000
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKH14 - Suffolk
NHS Organisation Data Service
QJG
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
ADHD prescribing and monitoring - CYP
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85100000 - Health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Provision of the primary care element of ADHD patient shared Care Arrangements for Children and Young People, which includes delivery of prescribing as required after positive diagnosis and stabilisation of medication by Specialist Provider.
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: £587,120
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH14 - Suffolk
- UKH34 - Essex Haven Gateway
Main site or place of performance
Suffolk and North East Essex locality.
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Suffolk and North East Essex (SNEE) ICB is establishing a prescribing and monitoring service for ADHD medications for CYP patients in NEE. This service will take on the primary care responsibilities as defined by the shared care agreements for these medications. This service is being set up in response to receiving formal notice from the North & South Essex LMC that they have advised GP practices in NEE to decline from participating in shared care agreements for ADHD medications for this cohorts of patients. This includes withdrawing from existing shared care agreements.
This service will share care for patients who are under the care of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust who deliver commissioned pathways by SNEE ICB.
The objectives of the service are to:
• Provide patients with appropriate and safe care outside of the secondary care setting.
• Improve patient access to services.
• Deliver an innovative approach to service provision.
• Demonstrate improved quality and effectiveness of services for patients.
The service shall be available to all patients within NEE who are registered with a GP practice within North East Essex and under the care of ESNEFT (SNEE ICB commissioned Children's ADHD pathway) who have been diagnosed with ADHD and are being prescribed one or more of the medications. Access to the service is by referral from ESNEFT.
The provider will accept new patients who have been diagnosed with ADHD, have completed a minimum of 12 weeks of titration and has been stabilised on treatment by ESNEFT and patients referred into the service by ESNEFT who were previously prescribed and monitored by their NEE GP practice. The Provider will also be working with GP Practices who choose to continue with the monitoring or prescribing.
This contract will start on the 1st April 2025 for 12 months (1 year).
There will be an option to extend by a further 12 months (1 year) from 1st April 2026 - 31st March 2027
The value of this contract is an estimation based upon all patient data available at the time, therefore there is the potential for variation once the entirety of the circumstances and the number of shared care arrangements are understood with greater detail.
The ICB may wish to introduce additional services during the lifetime of the contract ("Contract modifications"). Such contract modifications will be contemplated where additional requirements are similar and or complementary to the services already included in the Specification, at any given time. Such expansion would be by the addition of services commissioned by the Authority as named in the Contract Notice. To this end, after the award of contract, there is a possibility that the contract may be varied as allowable in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: To address immediate risks to safety and quality of care / Weighting: 100
Price - Weighting: 0
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
There will be an option to extend by a further 12 months from 1st April 2026 - 31st March 2027
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:
This contract has been awarded under the urgent circumstances provision of the Provider Selection Regime (PSR). This contract has been awarded under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. This award is being made urgently and the reason for the urgency was not foreseen by the ICB for the reasons outlined within this notice. This award is being made in order to prevent risk to patient and public safety, and the ICB is not able to satisfy the requirements of regulations 6 - 13 for the reasons outlined below.
In order to mobilise this interim new service within the timeframe given by the notice of GP practices in North East Essex, it is imperative that the provider has the relationships, digital and clinical processes required with the GP practices and with East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT).
The following elements indicate the reasons for the direct award to the named provider:
•The critical timeline for implementation of this significant change
•The direct partnership - working arrangements between the practices of NE Essex and GP Primary Choice Ltd; this includes management of a collective LES, commissioned by the ICB with a range of implementation arrangements with practices
•The track record of delivery of high-quality services working with practices and system partners
•The working relationship between ESNEFT and GP Primary Choice Ltd
GP Primary Choice Ltd is a trusted system partner of ESNEFT as well as the practices. The pace required to deliver these new arrangements safely for this interim period demands these practical working relationships.
Insert Award decision-makers: Executive Committee 6th January 2025.
No conflicts of interest, or potential conflicts of interest, were declared by any decision makes.
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
Section five. Award of contract
Title
ADHD prescribing and monitoring - CYP
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
19 February 2025
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, Nestfield Road
Colchester
CO4 3ZL
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKH34 - Essex Haven Gateway
Companies House
08486936
The contractor is an SME
Yes
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot: £587,120
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board
Endeavour House, Russell Road
Ipswich
IP1 2BX
Telephone
+44 1473770000
Country
United Kingdom