Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board
Charter House, Parkway
Welwyn Garden City
AL8 6JL
Contact
Cariad Burgess
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKH23 - Hertfordshire
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://hertsandwestessex.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
Rapid Intervention Service for West Essex Place
Reference number
ACE-0549-2022-WEST
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85323000 - Community health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
This is a contract award notice to communicate that NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Health Board’s (herein the Authority) intention to award a contract for Rapid Intervention Service (RIS) to East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST), for the West Essex place.
Following the publication of the Voluntary Ex-Ante Notice (VEAT) on the 20th March 2023, the Authority has observed a voluntary 10-day standstill period from the publication date of the VEAT Notice and will now award the contract, pursuant to Regulation 99 (3) (c) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (as amended (EU Exit) 2020 etc.) EU Exit) Regulations 2020).
The contract value for a 36 month period is £1,048,170 Pound Sterling. The aggregate contract value or the 36 month period, including a 24 month extension, is £1,746,950 Pound Sterling.
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: £1,746,950
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 85323000 - Community health services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH23 - Hertfordshire
Main site or place of performance
West Essex (Place)
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The contract award decision is as a result of a robust due diligence process undertaken as a negotiation without prior publication, under Regulation 32 (1) (b) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (“PCR 2015”) (as amended The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020).
The Authority has observed voluntary 10-day standstill period from the publication date of the VEAT notice before awarding the contract, pursuant to Regulation 99 (3) (c) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (as amended (EU Exit) 2020 etc.) EU Exit) Regulations 2020).
The Rapid Intervention Service (RIS) has been established in the West Essex area since 2017 and the RIS model is designed to deliver responsive interventions to patients in their own home which otherwise would have led to a presentation at A&E in an acute setting and to decrease unnecessary emergency ambulance conveyances in Harlow, Epping North Loughton, Buckhurst Hill and Chigwell areas.
The contract duration is from 01st April 2023 - 30th March 2026, with the option to extend for a further 24 months. The aggregate total contract value, including all extensions, is £1,746,950.00 Pound Sterling.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 100%
Cost criterion - Name: Price / Weighting: 100
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
Option to extend for a further 24 months
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 Authority is compliantly awarding this Rapid Intervention Service (RIS) for West Essex Place as a result of a robust due diligence process undertaken as a negotiation without prior publication, under Regulation 32 (1) (b) and under Regulation 99 (3) (c) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (“PCR 2015”) (as amended The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020).
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
- No tenders or no suitable tenders/requests to participate in response to restricted procedure
- The services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
- absence of competition for technical reasons
Explanation:
The Authority published a VEAT notice on the 20th March 2023 to communicate their intention to award this Rapid Intervention Service (RIS) for West Essex Place as a result of a robust due diligence process undertaken as a negotiation without prior publication, under Regulation 32 (1) (b) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (“PCR 2015”) (as amended The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020).
The intended contract duration is from 01st April 2023 - 30th March 2026, with the option to extend for a further 24 months. The aggregate total contract value, including all options, is £1,746,950.00 Pound Sterling.
The contract award decision is as a result of a robust due diligence process undertaken as a negotiation without prior publication, under Regulation 32 (1) (b) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (“PCR 2015”) (as amended The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020).
Detail:
The Authority issued a Request for Information (RFI) on 26th July 2022 to ascertain the interest from the market for this Rapid Intervention Service (RIS) for the West Essex place. The deadline expired at 17:30hrs noon on 09th August 2022 and unfortunately, on this occasion, only received a limited response in connection with the RFI exercise.
The Authority took a decision to conduct some further engagement with interested and suitable providers that expressed interest in the original opportunity, with an aim to run a different process using the same Specification, to select a suitable provider, under Regulation 32 (1) (b) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015. As such the Authority contacted those organisations that had responded to the RFI to understand what their potential interest was in working with us and to ensure that the Authority could ascertain a suitably qualified provider and ensure the continuity of service to patients within the West Essex place, as any discontinuation of the service would be an unacceptable outcome to the Authority and would have impacted the patients that require the service.
One response was received, and this was the incumbent provider, the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST). The Authority underwent a robust due diligence exercise is being undertaken with the Preferred Bidder (utilising the Crown Commercial Service's standard selection questionnaire) and scored specialist subject matter technical questions to ensure that the Authority had assurance that EEAST were suitably qualified and experienced, supporting the award decision being made.
The Authority has observed a voluntary 10-day standstill period from the publication date of the VEAT Notice and will now award the contract, pursuant to Regulation 99 (3) (c) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (as amended (EU Exit) 2020 etc.)
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 000-007994
four.2.9) Information about termination of call for competition in the form of a prior information notice
The contracting authority will not award any further contracts based on the above prior information notice
Section five. Award of contract
Title
Rapid Intervention Service (RIS) for West Essex Place
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
14 February 2023
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 1
Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 1
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 1
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust
East of England Ambulance Headquarters, Whiting Way, Melbourn
Cambridgeshire
SG8 6EN
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKH - East of England
Internet address
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot: £1,746,950
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
Please note that due to the nature of this form the mandatory requirement is for at least 1 tenderer to be listed for the below:
Number of tenders received: 1 (this is correct, 1 bidder)
Number of tenders received from SMEs: (SME – as defined in Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC) - 1 (this should be 0)
Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 1 (this should be 0)
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 1 (this should be 0)
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 1 (this is correct, 1 electronic response via the e-procurement portal)
The Service:
The Rapid Intervention Service (RIS) has been established in the West Essex area since 2017 and the RIS model is designed to deliver responsive interventions to patients in their own home which otherwise would have led to a presentation at A&E in an acute setting.
The main role of the Rapid Intervention Service is to support primary care with rapid/ on the day assessment / diagnostic and clinical intervention to prevent hospital admissions for patients who:
• Do not require an acute admission / hospital care
• Require immediate nursing / therapy / personal care input to stabilise them in their own home (which may be a care home)
• Have a non-life-threatening condition who would have been conveyed to PAH and / or admitted to hospital
• To provide assessment of minor illness and minor injury
• To respond to acute exacerbation of chronic conditions with GP support (or substituting clinician where this is required) so that the patient has access to necessary diagnostic services
Scope of requirement
The service will operate between the hours of 08.30 to 18.30 Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) for the Harlow PCN.
The service will operate between the hours of 08:30 to 14:30 Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) for the Loughton, Buckhurst Hill and Chigwell PCN.
The service will operate between the hours of 08:30 to 16:30 Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) for the Epping North PCN.
The service will support primary care to deliver crisis interventions to prevent unnecessary hospital admission for people who do not require specialist acute hospital admission.
The service will also support carers when a crisis can threaten the stability of care and any support arrangements they have in place. This may be due to an alteration in their physical and mental health, or a temporary change in their social circumstances which makes it difficult for them to be maintained in primary care, without a short period of care and support.
To decrease unnecessary emergency ambulance conveyances in Harlow, Epping North Loughton, Buckhurst Hill and Chigwell areas.
The contract value for a 36 month period is £1,048,170 Pound Sterling. The aggregate contract value or the 36 month period, including a 24 month extension, is £1,746,950 Pound Sterling.
The contract award decision is as a result of a robust due diligence process undertaken as a negotiation without prior publication, under Regulation 32 (1) (b) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (“PCR 2015”) (as amended The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020). The Authority has observed a voluntary 10-day standstill period from the publication date of the VEAT Notice and will now award this contract, pursuant to Regulation 99 (3) (c) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (as amended (EU Exit) 2020 etc.) EU Exit) Regulations 2020).
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 Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board
Charter House, Parkway
Welwyn Garden City
AL8 6JL
Country
United Kingdom