Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD
PEMBERTON HOUSE COLIMA AVENUE SUNDERLAND ENTERPRISE PARK
Sunderland
SR53XB
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKC23 - Sunderland
NHS Organisation Data Service
QHM
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://northeastnorthcumbria.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
South Tyneside and Sunderland GP Out of Hours and Urgent Treatment Centres
Reference number
NENC016
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85100000 - Health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
INTENTION TO AWARD NOTICE for South Tyneside and Sunderland GP Out of Hours and Urgent Treatment Centres.
Previous transparency notices related to this include:
Request for Information- 2024/S 000-034819
Prior Information Notice - 2025/S 000-015547
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: £36,050,000
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKC - North East (England)
Main site or place of performance
South Tyneside and Sunderland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
INTENTION TO AWARD NOTICE for South Tyneside and Sunderland GP Out of Hours and Urgent Treatment Centres.
North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (Relevant Authority) intend to award a contract under the Most Suitable Provider (MSP) process for the provision of South Tyneside and Sunderland GP Out of Hours and Urgent Treatment Centres.
The publication of this notice marks the start of the Standstill Period. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by 11:59:59 p.m. 11 August 2025. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR. Written representations should be sent to NENC ICB at nencicb.procurement@nhs.net.
These are previous/current existing services which were published to the market with a revised service specification for an integrated model to meet new requirements for Urgent and Emergency Care.
NENC ICB published a Prior Information Notice 2025/S 000-015547 on 16 April 2025 inviting the market to submit an Expression of Interest in accordance with the process that must be followed when awarding a contract under the most suitable provider processed defined in Regulations 6(6) and 10 of PSR 2023.
As detailed in the published specification, the service requires two integrated urgent treatment centres delivered out of (co-located with the ED departments):
South Tyneside Hospital
Harton Lane, South Shields
NE34 0PL
Sunderland Royal Hospital
Kayll Road, Sunderland
SR4 7TP
The value of the integrated service is £5,250,000 per annum. The intended contract will run for an initial term of five years, from 01 October 2025 until 30 September 2030, with the option of extending for a further two years until 30 September 2032.
Previous transparency notices related to this include:
Request for Information- 2024/S 000-034819
Prior Information Notice - 2025/S 000-015547
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality and Innovation / Weighting: 33.61
Quality criterion - Name: Value / Weighting: 9.76
Quality criterion - Name: Integration & Collaboration / Weighting: 16.27
Quality criterion - Name: Improved Access, Reducing Health Inequalities and Facilitating Choice / Weighting: 3.25
Quality criterion - Name: Social Value / Weighting: 10.00
Quality criterion - Name: Service Specific Questions / Weighting: 27.11
Cost criterion - Name: Agree to set Financial Envelope / Weighting: 100
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.14) Additional information
INTENTION TO AWARD NOTICE for South Tyneside and Sunderland GP Out of Hours and Urgent Treatment Centres.
Previous transparency notices related to this include:
Request for Information- 2024/S 000-034819
Prior Information Notice - 2025/S 000-015547
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 at nencicb.procurement@nhs.net by 11:59:59 pm on 11 August 2025. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.
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
Title
South Tyneside and Sunderland GP Out of Hours and Urgent Treatment Centres
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
29 July 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
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
Trust Headquarters: Sunderland Royal Hospital, Kayll Road
Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
SR4 7TP
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKC23 - Sunderland
Companies House
130166
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: £36,050,000
Total value of the contract/lot: £36,050,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
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 the relevant authority by 11:59:59 p.m. 11 August 2025. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR. Written representations should be sent to NENC ICB at nencicb.procurement@nhs.net.
Service requirements were measured and assessed against the 5 Key Criteria of the PSR 2023 and weighted as follows with the rationale being the focus on providing an integrated model that meets new requirements for Urgent and Emergency Care as set out by the Urgent and Emergency Care Network of NENC ICB.
The Relevant Authority considered the service requirements, the relative importance of each of the PSR 2023 5 key criteria against the contracting arrangements, and what beneficial outcomes need to be achieved from the services. This information was used to determine what evidence would be assessed to confirm alignment with the 5 key criteria as follows:
Quality and Innovation 33.61%
Value 9.76%
Integration and Collaboration 16.27%
Improved Access, Reducing Health Inequalities and Facilitating Choice 3.25%
Social Value 10.00%
Service Specific Questions 27.11%
Following publication of a PIN on 16 April 2025 inviting Expressions of Interest, the Relevant Authority assessed all responses and requested and provided evidence against the published 5 key Criteria and service specific criteria to evidence the identified most suitable provider's suitability.
Following assessment, review, recommendation for Award Decision, and an Award Decision was requested and received through the following NENC ICB governance process:
Sunderland Place Subcommittee - 06 June 2025
South Tyneside Alliance Committee - 12 June 2025
Contracting & Procurement SubCommittee- 26 June 2025
NENC ICB Executive Committee - 08 July 2025
NENC ICB Board Approval - 29 July 2025
Conflicts of interests were managed throughout the process. Potential conflicts of interests identified among potential project team members were assessed by non-conflicted members. Individuals who identified a potential perceived conflict of interest were not given access to project documents or included in project discussions until it was confirmed they did not have a conflict. Two individuals listed potential conflicts with providers who did not respond to the PIN or submit an Expression of Interest and at no point were an identified potential most suitable provider either before or during assessment and recommendation.
All five governance committee meetings were briefed on the potential for conflicts of interests and conflicts with committee and board members were managed with any identified potential/perceived conflicted individuals not receiving copies of the MSP Outcome report and that member being asked to and agreeing to remove themselves from the meeting where the review and recommendation approval of the MSP process Outcome and agreement of the identification of the Most Suitable Provider was completed.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
NENC ICB Independent Representation Review Panel
Sunderland
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
In accordance with PSR 2023.