Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB)
Kirkham House, John Comyn Drive, Perdiswell
Worcester
WR3 7NS
Contact
Lyle Lloyd, MCIPS, Senior Procurement Officer
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKG12 - Worcestershire
Justification for not providing organisation identifier
Not on any register
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://herefordshireandworcestershire.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
Supporting You Worcestershire High Intensity User (HIU) service
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85100000 - Health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
This is a Transparency Notice pursuant to the Procurement Act 2023 (Act) to notify the market of a direct award of a contract for the Supporting You Worcestershire High Intensity User (HIU) service for a period of 12 months.
The aforementioned contract is a 'below-threshold contract' as defined in section 5 of the Act. The total contract value is £125,000.00 for the period of 12 months.
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: £125,000
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKG12 - Worcestershire
Main site or place of performance
The County of Worcestershire, UK
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This is a short-term award of a 12-month contract to the current provider of the Worcestershire High Intensity User (HIU) service, British Red Cross (BRC).
BRC was commissioned in response to the national HIU programme requirements to carry out a 2-year pilot from 2023-2025, which has demonstrated positive outcomes for clients in Worcestershire.
HIU service requirements are:
• Full time, dedicated HIU roles and programme.
• Delivering assertive outreach into people's homes.
• Ensuring an offer to adults, over the age of 18.
• A focus on A&E attendances and non-elective admissions.
• A holistic, non-medical, non-policing approach.
• A personalised, coaching approach.
• Engagement across the health and social care system and beyond.
• Effective partnership with and "step down" to primary care, neighbourhood services, and community assets.
Following evaluation, NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB may consider procuring a longer-term service.
The nature of the service means that the Provider Selection Regime regulations do not necessarily apply to this procurement. Rather it is covered by the Procurement Act 2023, and therefore, should a future procurement process take place, it is likely to be a full competitive tender exercise pursuant to the above Act, in order to secure a long-term contract.
If this is to take place, the timescale is approximately 12 months from the time of the publication of this Notice in order to take the above steps, meaning that a break in service provision was inevitable unless these steps were taken to avoid it.
To ensure continuity of service, it was necessary to direct award to BRC for a further 12 months (from May 2025 to May 2026) to allow the commissioning authority to formulate it's position with regards to the future competitive tendering exercise.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: 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 procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations
Explanation:
For the avoidance of doubt, as stated at Section II.1.4 above, this is a Transparency Notice pursuant to the Procurement Act 2023 (Act) to notify the market of a direct award of a contract for the Supporting You Worcestershire High Intensity Use (HIU) service for a period of 12 months.
The aforementioned contract is a 'below-threshold contract' as defined in section 5 of the Act. The total contract value is £125,000 for the period of 12 months.
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
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
1 June 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
British Red Cross
44 Moorfields
London
EC2Y 9AL
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKI - London
Charity Commission (England and Wales)
220949
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: £125,000
Total value of the contract/lot: £125,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
The ICB provides the following reasons for the award of the contact.
As a current provider, the awardee is the only provider who could guarantee continuity of service in the short term, and who has established means of satisfying the national requirements of a HIU service in Worcestershire.
HIU service requirements are:
• Full time, dedicated HIU roles and programme.
• Delivering assertive outreach into people's homes.
• Ensuring an offer to adults, over the age of 18.
• A focus on A&E attendances and non-elective admissions.
• A holistic, non-medical, non-policing approach.
• A personalised, coaching approach.
• Engagement across the health and social care system and beyond.
• Effective partnership with and "step down" to primary care, neighbourhood services, and community assets.
The non-clinical and individualised nature of the service means continuity of support is especially important. The client group worked with have a wide range of support needs that have led them to seek urgent and emergency care when more appropriate support is available elsewhere. This includes socio-economic pressures, housing, domestic abuse, learning disabilities, drug and alcohol, legal or mental health issues.
In addition, with established links to the health and social care system and beyond to the local authority, criminal justice, and other agencies, BRC could continue to provide holistic support while any procurement exercise takes place. This option will cause the minimum of disruption to clients and the health and social care system.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB
Kirkham House, John Comyn Drive, Perdiswell
Worcester
WR3 7NS
Country
United Kingdom