Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board
Charter House Parkway
Welwyn Garden City
AL8 6JL
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKH23 - Hertfordshire
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.hertsandwestessex.icb.nhs.uk/
Buyer's address
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Integrated Urgent Care (including GP Extended Access) Services for West Essex CCG
Reference number
ACE-0334-2018-West
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85100000 - Health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The IUC service for Hertfordshire and West Essex includes:
• NHS 111 call- handling service,
• NHS 111 on-line service,
• Clinical Assessment Service (CAS),
• Primary Care Out of Hours (OOH) service
The contract will also include the Acute In Hours Visiting Service for East and North Hertfordshire patients.
Section six. Complementary information
six.6) Original notice reference
Notice number: 2024/S 000-023355
Section seven. Changes
seven.1) Information to be changed or added
seven.2) Other additional information
The following information supplements and/or supersedes the text within the modification notice reference 2024/S 000-023355:II 2.7) Justification for duration and VII.1.5) Justification for duration These boxes were completed in error. The contract is not a framework agreement and the term of the contract is 9 years as originally advertised (comprising an initial 5 year term plus 4 year extension option which has been activated).IV.2.1) Contract award notice concerning this contract The link in the modification notice was to the contract notice instead of the contract award notice. The contract award notice reference number is 2018/S 216-494411VII.2.2) Reasons for modification. The ICB does not consider that the need for modification was brought about by circumstances which a diligent contracting authority/entity could not foresee. This option was selected in error as the remaining text in this section made clear.The ICB considers that the modification is permitted pursuant to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 under regulation 13(1)(a). The ICB provides further detail supplementing that contained in the modification notice as follows:The ICB considers that the modification enables continuity of service provision for the Integrated Urgent Care service which is integral to supporting the delivery of system wide urgent care priorities. The modification also aligns to the option set out in the initial procurement for Hertfordshire IUC services to be incorporated into the West Essex IUC contract ensuring the ICB acts transparently, fairly and proportionately. The ICB considers that the modification is permitted pursuant to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 under regulation 13(1)(a) i.e. on the basis that the possibility of modifying the contract to incorporate service provision in Hertfordshire was clearly and unambiguously provided for in the contract documents.Specifically the Contract Notice (reference 2018/S 135-308364) published to advertise the original contract explained that the contracting authority could bring in additional optional services including by incorporating the provision of integrated urgent care services for both Herts Valley and East and North Herts CCGs in order to support a consistent service across the Hertfordshire and West Essex Sustainability and Transformation Partnership Footprint. The effect of the modification is to bring about a single contract for IUC services across the Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB footprint, which aligns with the Hertfordshire and West Essex sustainability and transformation partnership footprint. Additional information about the modification was provided in the invitation to tender at paragraph 1.1 and supplementary document 1 published in the original procurement and further details about the sustainability and transformation partnership footprint in section 1.3.1 of the specification published in the procurement. Tenderers in the procurement for the contract were also required to respond to a question addressing the incorporation of the IUC service in Hertfordshire into the contract and identifying opportunities to achieve system benefits by doing so. These documents explained amongst other things, the points in time at which the modification could take effect and the nature of the Hertfordshire area and IUCS service within the Hertfordshire area. Accordingly, the ICB considers that it was permitted to modify the contract in accordance with regulation 13 of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 for the reasons set out above.VII.2.3) Increase in price.Updated total contract value before the modifications (taking into account possible earlier contract modifications, price adaptions and average inflation)Value excluding VAT: £52,570,762