Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB
Aspen House, Stephenson Road,Severalls Business Park
COLCHESTER
CO49QR
Contact
Jane Garnett
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKH34 - Essex Haven Gateway
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
Integrated Urgent Care
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85100000 - Health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The IUC contract in Suffolk and North East Essex is provided by Practice Plus Group (PPG). The contract expires on 31st October 2025, having been extended by two years. No further options to extend the existing contract are available.
The IUC contract includes our 111 service, Clinical Advice Service (CAS) and Out of Hours (OoH). All elements of the contract are delivered directly by PPG with the exception of the OoH service in East and West Suffolk, which is provided via a sub-contracting arrangement with the Suffolk GP Federation (SGPF).
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: £32,275,767
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH14 - Suffolk
- UKH34 - Essex Haven Gateway
Main site or place of performance
Ipswich and East Suffolk, West Suffolk and North East Essex localities.
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The IUC contract includes our 111 service, Clinical Advice Service (CAS) and Out of Hours (OoH). All elements of the contract are delivered directly by PPG with the exception of the OoH service in East and West Suffolk, which is provided via a sub-contracting arrangement with the Suffolk GP Federation (SGPF).
This is a two-year contract with no option for extension. The contract will start on 1 November 2026, expiring on 31 October 2028. The annual contract value is £16,137,883 notwithstanding standard NHS uplift to be applied in the second year of the contract.
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board are awarding the contract named within this notice under the Direct Award C process which is outlined within the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The provider named in this notice is an existing provider and has been reviewed through a Key Criteria assessment to ensure the awarding body is satisfied with current performance and reasonably expects the provider to be able to satisfy the contract which is the subject of this notice. The contract which is the subject of this notice has not changed considerably when compared with the existing / previous contract delivered by the named provider.
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: The existing provider is satisfying the original contract and will likely satisfy the proposed contract to a sufficient standard. / Weighting: 100
Price - Weighting: 0
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.14) Additional information
This contract will not allow for any period of extension.
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 is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to 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. The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period.
Representations by providers must be made to decision makers by 9th October 2024 (8 working days following publication of intention to award notice). They should be submitted in writing to procurement@snee.nhs.uk.
This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.
Awarding Committee: Suffolk and North East Essex ICB Board
No conflicts of interest, or potential conflicts of interest, were declared by any decision makes.
The decision to award this contract in line with Direct Award Process C was based on evaluation against the five required key criteria as follows:
• Quality and Innovation - Not Assured - There are some performance struggles with some of the contractual KPIs; however, providers nationally are struggling to achieve many of the metrics. An Action Plan has been put in place to cover clinical outputs and performance timeliness including but not exclusively reducing ambulance and ED dispatches more in line with national average, increasing calls dealt with by advice, improving 111 online call backs and timeliness of clinical inputs. It is anticipated that the action plan will lead to improvement in the contractual KPIs and therefore assurance levels.
• Value - Part Assured - elements of the provider's service delivers value for money. However, delivery against the core contract shows poor attainment of KPIs in the context of lower-than-commissioned activity levels. This however is against a national context of services struggling and the cost impact of procuring a new service. The action plan will lead to improvement in the contractual KPIs and therefore assurance levels.
• Integration, Collaboration and Service Sustainability - Assured - The provider is noted for their excellent collaborative approach within the system.
• Improving Access, Reducing Health Inequalities and Facilitating Choice - Assured - The Equality Impact Assessment demonstrates the broadly positive impact IUC services have on ensuring equality of access for patients.
• Social Value - Assured - SNEE ICB are assured that the provider is delivering in line with the SNEE Green Plan. The provider's service offers clear and defined benefits, both in terms of environmental and social values.
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
Integrated Urgent Care
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
30 July 2024
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
Practice Plus Group Urgent Care Limited
1330 Arlington Business Park, Theale, Reading, Berkshire
Reading
RG7 4SA
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKJ11 - Berkshire
Companies House
05232967
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot: £32,275,767
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
fghfgdg
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board
Aspen House, Stephenson Road, Severalls Business Park
Colchester
CO4 9QR
Country
United Kingdom