Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS SUFFOLK AND NORTH EAST ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD
Endeavour House, Russell Road
Ipswich
IP12BX
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKH14 - Suffolk
NHS Organisation Data Service
QJG
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://suffolkandnortheastessex.icb.nhs.uk/
Buyer's address
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Integrated Urgent Care - UCCH CAS modification
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85100000 - Health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH14 - Suffolk
- UKH34 - Essex Haven Gateway
Main site or place of performance
Suffolk and North East Essex locality
two.2.4) Description of the procurement at the time of conclusion of the contract:
The Unscheduled Care Coordination Hub (UCCH) is a system-wide capability that plays a key role in delivering the vision of SNEE's emergency and urgent care community - 'People receive the right care, in the right place, first time, every time.' The UCCH's primary purpose is to improve the timeliness of care and support to C3 - C5 patients who have contacted EEAST for urgent care (either via 999 and 111). By doing so patient will receive care from the most appropriate teams in a timely way and avoid A&E attendance and unnecessary admission.
The aim of the Conveyance Avoidance Hotline (CAH) service is to safely reduce the number of patients taken to hospital in an ambulance across Suffolk and North East Essex by providing on-scene ambulance crews a direct pathway to access a GP or Advanced Nurse Practitioner by telephone for clinical advice.
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement, dynamic purchasing system or concession
Duration in months
12
Section four. Procedure
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Contract award notice concerning this contract
Notice number: 2099/S 001-999999
Section five. Award of contract/concession
Contract No
Integrated Urgent Care
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract/concession award decision:
6 March 2024
five.2.2) Information about tenders
The contract/concession has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
Practice Plus Group Urgent Care Limited
Reading
RG7 4SA
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKJ11 - Berkshire
Companies House
05232967
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot/concession (at the time of conclusion of the contract;excluding VAT)
Total value of the procurement: £1,022,250
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) contract modification notice, under 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. This contract has now been formally modified.
Decision-makers: Financial Recovery and Sustainability Group 6th March 2024
No conflicts of interest, or potential conflicts of interest, were declared by any decision makers.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board
Endeavour House
Ipswich
IP1 2BX
Country
United Kingdom
Section seven: Modifications to the contract/concession
seven.1) Description of the procurement after the modifications
seven.1.1) Main CPV code
- 85100000 - Health services
seven.1.3) Place of performance
NUTS code
- UKH14 - Suffolk
- UKH34 - Essex Haven Gateway
Main site or place of performance
Suffolk and north east Essex locality
seven.1.4) Description of the procurement:
The aim of the Conveyance Avoidance Hotline (CAH) service is to safely reduce the number of patients taken to hospital in an ambulance across Suffolk and North East Essex by providing on-scene ambulance crews a direct pathway to access a GP or Advanced Nurse Practitioner by telephone for clinical advice.
seven.1.5) Duration of the contract, framework agreement, dynamic purchasing system or concession
Duration in months
12
seven.1.6) Information on value of the contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot/concession:
£1,022,250
seven.1.7) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
PRACTICE PLUS GROUP URGENT CARE LIMITED
Hawker House 5-6 Napier Court Napier Road
Reading
RG1 8BW
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKJ11 - Berkshire
Companies House
05232967
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
seven.2) Information about modifications
seven.2.1) Description of the modifications
Nature and extent of the modifications (with indication of possible earlier changes to the contract):
UCCH:
The Unscheduled Care Co-ordination Hub (UCCH) (inc. the Conveyance Avoidance Helpline) received £990k non-recurrent funding from SNEE ICB, EEAST and NHSE in 2023/24. The Conveyance Avoidance Helpline (CAH) has been operational since April '20, with year to year, nonrecurrent funding. In 23/24 this cost £725k, which is significantly less than 22/23 which was £1.1m. The UCCH is a system-wide capability that plays a key role in delivering the vision of SNEE's emergency and urgent care community - 'People receive the right care, in the right place, first time, every time.' The UCCH's primary purpose is to improve the timeliness of care and support to C3 - C5 patients who have contacted EEAST for urgent care (either via 999 and 111). By doing so patient will receive care from the most appropriate teams in a timely way and avoid A&E attendance and unnecessary admission Since Jan '24, the UCCH has operated 12 hrs a day (0800-2000hrs), 7 days a week and is physically based at the ICB's Aspen House office in Colchester adjacent to the System Operation Centre. The UCCH will be available 12 hours a day, 7 days a week year-round.
CAH:
The aim of the service is to safely reduce the number of patients taken to hospital in an ambulance across Suffolk and North East Essex by providing on-scene ambulance crews a direct pathway to access a GP or Advanced Nurse Practitioner by telephone for clinical advice. PPG provides the service to SNEE ICB 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with an additional 10.5 hours a day provided by SGPF on weekends. Crews on scene have 1 telephone number, which is redirected to the appropriate and available service. The line shall be staffed by a local GP/ANP with access to an enhanced summary care records or full patients notes. The service will be able to: 1) Write electronic prescriptions 2) Give clinical advice 3) Make onward referrals if identified to pharmacies, GPs and other services identified locally or on the DoS as appropriate. 4) Book appointments for patients in GP+ (once live). The priority of this service is to reduce pressure on the local Emergency Departments within Suffolk; however, the Service is encouraged to work with ESNEFT and WSFT to ensure that pathways to other services such as SDECs are also advised to crews where needed. Variation agreement template (full length or shorter-form Contract) for updating contracts in-year where there is capacity within the service, the service shall support ambulance control rooms with reviewing C3/C4 cases clinically identified as being applicable for primary care services. These cases shall be passed through by the ambulance control room and shall be treated in line with a procedure agreed between EEAST and SGPF
This variation reflects a non-recurrent investment of £1,022,250 into the services listed above, running from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025
seven.2.2) Reasons for modification
Need for additional works, services or supplies by the original contractor/concessionaire.
Description of the economic or technical reasons and the inconvenience or duplication of cost preventing a change of contractor:
This modification will enable sustained delivery against national and local UEC commitments and provide enhanced support to mental health patients enabling us to improve our response aligned to increased demand. The UCCH delivers capability aligned to one of the 10 high impact initiatives that is advocated in the NHS UEC Recovery Plan. In addition, it has the potential to evolve and become the system's Single Point of Access (SPOA) if plans are developed in 24/25 and commensurate resource secured.
seven.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: £101,000,000
Total contract value after the modifications
Value excluding VAT: £102,000,000