Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group
Wren House, Colchester Road
Chelmsford
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKH3 - Essex
Internet address(es)
Main address
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
Mid and West Essex End of Life and Hospice Services
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85100000 - Health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
This is a voluntary ex ante transparency notice and is intended to provide notice of the Authority's intention to award a contract to deliver the following Services; an Inpatient Unit (IPU), a Hospice at Home service, a Bereavement service and a Rapidly Deteriorating Patients – bespoke care service, covering the population of Mid Essex. Additionally IPU, Hospice at Home and Bereavement Services are also delivered in West Essex. All services will be contracted for a period of 24 months, from 1st April 2022 – 31st March 2024.
This notice is made by the Contracting Authorities; NHS Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS West Essex Clinical Commissioning Group, (hereinafter referred to as “the Authority”) in compliance with their local standing financial instructions (SFIs).
The aggregate contract value is forecasted at £8,230,000 (including VAT) over the two-year term, equating to £6,858,333 (excluding VAT).
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: £6,858,333
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH3 - Essex
Main site or place of performance
Mid and West Essex
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This is a voluntary ex ante transparency notice and is intended to provide notice of the Authority's intention to award a contract to deliver the following Services; an Inpatient Unit, a Hospice at Home service, a Bereavement service and a Rapidly Deteriorating Patients – bespoke care service, covering the population of Mid Essex and West Essex, for a period of 24 months, from 1st April 2022 – 31st March 2024.
The aggregate contract value is forecasted at £8,230,000 (including VAT) over the two-year term, equating to £6,858,333 (excluding VAT).
The Contracting Authority is yet to agree appropriate inflation and uplift for this contract for the period of 2022/23 and 2023/24. These will be dealt with as Contract Variations in accordance with the NHS Standard Contract Terms and Conditions. The Authority deems any such variations are not substantial or material changes, as they occur due to external causes beyond the Authority's control, including changes in contract value driven by changes in patient volume. The Authority will publish appropriate Notices accordingly to communicate any such future changes to the market, once final.
The Authority will observe a 10-day standstill from the date of publication of this VEAT, during which the CCGs will not enter into any contractual arrangement.
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
two.2.14) Additional information
The Service to which this procurement relates fall within Schedule 3 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 as amended by as amended by The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, (the "Regulations"). As such, the Contracting Authority does not intend to hold itself bound by any of the Regulations, save those applicable to Schedule 3 Services.
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Negotiated without a prior call for competition
- The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
- absence of competition for technical reasons
Explanation:
The Service to which this procurement relates fall within Schedule 3 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 as amended by as amended by The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, (the "Regulations"). As such, the Contracting Authority does not intend to hold itself bound by any of the Regulations, save those applicable to Schedule 3 Services.
The Authority is currently in a transitional period with the expectation to be superseded as a statutory body, by an Integrated Care Board in late 2022. The organisation shall have a key function as part of the overall Integrated Care System. At the current time, longer-term strategies across all sectors are under discussion and longer term commissioning decisions and or procurements cannot take place until these legal arrangements are confirmed.
The Authority has therefore taken a decision to award a contract to the incumbent provider to manage critical risks and ensure consistency in provision of care that meet the needs of the population. The Authority has conducted relevant due diligence to establish this is an appropriate provider to deliver these services including evidence regarding the providers CQC status, which was a ‘no need for inspection’ this year due to submission, and positive patient experience reported; recipient of awards from voluntary sector body, Hospice UK.
Additionally, the provider is considered most technically capable of providing the most economically advantageous solution to the Authority under the current environment whilst transitioning to the ICB, because the NHS is contributing to the overall costs for core Hospice activities/services being delivered by the provider already, and so gets a return on investment. The Authority is applying the NHS Standard Contract Terms and Conditions to support a combination of services, some of which are part funded and one service which is 100% funded under a single clinical contract, to ensure appropriate clinical governance and service delivery quality as well as consistency of service to patients. However, staff are not ringfenced to the 100% funded service and work across different areas.
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/concession
Title
Mid and West Essex Hospice Services
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
16 March 2022
five.2.2) Information about tenders
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
Farleigh Hospice
Farleigh Hospice, North Court Road
Chelmsford
CM1 7FH
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKH3 - Essex
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £6,858,333
five.2.5) Information about subcontracting
The contract/lot/concession is likely to be subcontracted
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
The Contracting Authorities participating in the publication of this VEAT and the award of the contract communicated herein are:
NHS Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group
Wren House, Colchester Road
Chelmsford
CM2 5PF
NHS West Essex Clinical Commissioning Group
Building 4 Spencer Close, The Plain
Epping
CM16 6TN
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.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
NHS Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group
Wren House, Colchester Road
Chelmsford
CM2 5PF
Country
United Kingdom