Scope
Reference
NENC ICB-096
Description
This is a Direct Award being made under Schedule 5 Section 13 - Urgency of the Procurement Act 2023 and in accordance with the Procurement Regulations 2024 where
Where-
(a)the goods, services or works to be supplied under the public contract are strictly necessary for reasons of extreme and unavoidable urgency, and
(b)as a result the public contract cannot be awarded on the basis of a competitive tendering procedure.
The action therefore of the Relevant Authority has been
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition for a contract to last for maximum 12 months.
NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (the Contracting Authority) have awarded a contract without prior publication of a call for competition for a contract to last for maximum 12 months under Schedule 5 Section 13 - Urgency of the Procurement Act 2023 and in accordance with the Procurement Regulations 2024 under NHS Standard Contract 2025-26.
The service is to deliver Occupational Health Services and an Employee Assistance Programme(EAP) to the employees of NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board.
The recent NHS re-organisational announcements and particularly the consolidation of NHS Commissioning Support Unit (CSU) functions and the status of North of England Commissioning Support (NECS) within it has meant that the CSU has ceased to provide the above service under its Service Level Agreement with the ICB as of 01 August 2025.
The ICB has also recently received a number of staff from the CSU as TUPE transferees and was planning a long term EAP solution to be put in place however with the uncertainty following the DHSC announcements and imminent consultation of staff required is unavoidably forced to put an interim 12 month solution in place whilst operating plans are finalised.
The ICB has a TUPE obligation to ensure that staff provisions under the OH and EAP schemes for transferees are provided on a like for like basis and for this reason has taken the decision to award an interim 12mth contract. The identified provider was able to deliver at short notice, was providing the services for the transferees and all other ICB staff via the CSU Service Level Agreement already and will be providing the service on a like for like basis for the maximum 12months period in order to maintain employee service provisions both in line with TUPE obligations specifically for those transferrees and maintaining status quo for all other ICB staff.
Contract 1
Supplier
Contract value
- £50,000 excluding VAT
- £50,000 including VAT
Below the relevant threshold
Date signed
31 July 2025
Contract dates
- 1 August 2025 to 31 July 2026
- 1 year
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 85312320 - Counselling services
Contract locations
- UKC - North East (England)
Procedure
Procedure type
Below threshold - without competition
Supplier
PEOPLE ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD
- Companies House: 05199107
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PVVR-3716-JNYR
Holly House, 73 Sankey Street
Warrington
WA1 1SL
United Kingdom
Email: sales@people-am.com
Website: https://www.pamgroup.co.uk/
Region: UKD61 - Warrington
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): No
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): No
Contract 1
Contracting authority
NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD
- NHS Organisation Data Service: QHM
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PMYZ-6944-BYLH
PEMBERTON HOUSE COLIMA AVENUE SUNDERLAND ENTERPRISE PARK
Sunderland
SR5 3XB
United Kingdom
Email: nencicb.procurement@nhs.net
Region: UKC23 - Sunderland
Organisation type: Public authority - central government