Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS England
7-8 Wellington Place
Leeds
LS1 4AP
england.commercialqueries@nhs.net
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's 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
PICANet Level 2 April 2024 to September 2025
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85100000 - Health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Delivery of all services for the provision of PICANet Level 2 clinical database, including collection and analysis of data from Paediatric Critical Care Units across England.
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: £585,700
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Provision of the PICANet Level 2 clinical database , including the collection and analysis of data from PIC Level 2 Units in England, and training and support for staff in PCC Units and PCC ODN staff, to support high compliance with requirement to submit data. The PICANet L2 clinical database enables ‘near real time’ data feed of Level 2 data on Paediatric Critical Care.
The Paediatric Critical Care (PCC) and Surgery in Children (SIC) Review published a Summary Report in November 2019. A key outcome from the review was the development for the capability for PICANet to capture data from all Level 2 paediatric critical care units. In part this is to support another key outcome of the review, which was to establish a local networked model of care supported via ten operational delivery networks (ODNs) across the 7 NHS England regions, supporting critical care and surgical services for children.
Demand for PCC services have increased over the past 20 years, with the most significant growth in demand in recent years being for high dependency PCC. These services had not been consistently commissioned across the country, and clinical data from these services had not been collected universally and consistently to inform the development of PCC services.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic the delivery of the Review recommendations had been delayed as regional resources were redeployed. However, it became clear that access to timely critical care data is paramount in being able to support the management of the capacity for all critical care services when demand surges, as it did during the COVID 19 pandemic. PCC ODNs play a central role in delivering an effective surge responses and recovery, therefore access to robust ‘near time’ data is vital in supporting the ODNs.
The requirement for regular data flow from Level 2 PCC services is, and will continue to be a high priority for paediatric critical care service development. During the winter months and at times of high childhood infections, PCC services consistently experience a surge in demand; efficient flow of PCC patients through the system is essential. This reinforces the importance of the current approach to the future commissioning of PCC Level 2 units.
In 2021, NHS England provided funding for PICANet to pilot the development the PICANet Level 2 clinical database to enable a regular ‘near real time’ data feed and reporting on Level 2 activity. Level 3 data is currently commissioned on NHSE's behalf via its contract with Health Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) and delivered by University of Leeds.
Following completion of the pilot development contract, expanding and maintaining the delivery of the PICANet Level 2 clinical database should now become 'business as usual.'
In the aftermath of the Lucy Letby incident, NHS England is assisting in an urgent review of neonatal services. PICANet data will increasingly be in focus and cessation of the service at this time would be ill-timed.
This proposal seeks to secure an additional 18 months of funding to give sufficient time to carry out pre-market engagement activities followed by a procurement exercise by September 2025. The business case for this (BC-25066) is underway.
Following the procurement exercise, we will commission the of delivery of PICANet Level 2 until March 2027 whereupon we will align the commissioning of both PICANet Level 2 and Level 3 clinical databases into a single contract.
This will be a retrospective STA under Regulation 32 (2) (b), and will be for a duration of 18 months.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price
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 services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
- absence of competition for technical reasons
Explanation:
Maintenance of a clinical database and support services (including collection and analysis of data) for ‘near real time’ data feed, in order to secure 18 months of funding to allow sufficient time to carry out pre-market engagement activities followed by a procurement exercise by September 2025 (see BC-25066). We will secure a contract for delivery of PICANet Level 2 until March 2027 whereupon we will align the commissioning of both PICANet Level 2 and Level 3 data. This will enable Level 2 and Level 3 data be amalgamated into a single contract.
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
Section five. Award of contract
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
31 March 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
UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS
Woodhouse Lane
Leeds
LS2 9JT
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
National registration number
RC000658
Internet address
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £585,700
Lowest offer: £585,700 / Highest offer: £585,700 taken into consideration
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
The High Court
The Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
Country
United Kingdom
Internet address
https://www.judiciary.uk/courts-and-tribunals/high-court/
six.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
The High Court
The Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
Country
United Kingdom