Award

Integrated Urgent Care

NHS SUFFOLK AND NORTH EAST ESSEX ICB

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

TenderUpdate

25 Jun 2025 at 10:45

TenderUpdate

27 Sep 2024 at 09:13

Award

26 Sep 2024 at 15:40

Summary of the contracting process

The NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board has awarded the "Integrated Urgent Care" contract, set to commence on 1 November 2026 and conclude on 31 October 2028. This contract, under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, involves providing health services in Suffolk and North East Essex, particularly covering the 111 service, Clinical Advice Service (CAS), and Out of Hours (OoH). The Practice Plus Group Urgent Care Limited will oversee the primary service provision, with the Suffolk GP Federation managing the OoH service in certain areas. Located in Ipswich, East Suffolk, West Suffolk, and North East Essex, the contract is designed to be non-extensible and carries an annual value of £16,137,883, adjusted for NHS standard uplifts in the second year.

This procurement process represents a vital opportunity for businesses in the health service sector, particularly those specialising in urgent care and logistical health management. Companies experienced in integrated healthcare services, with the capability to provide innovative and quality solutions, can benefit significantly from engaging with NHS contracts. Sub-contracting opportunities might also exist, especially for organisations focusing on niche services such as the Out of Hours provision, making this tender a potentially lucrative proposition for firms aiming to expand their footprint in the public healthcare sector.

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Notice Title

Integrated Urgent Care

Notice 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).

Lot Information

Lot 1

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 PS16,137,883 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. Additional information: This contract will not allow for any period of extension.

Procurement 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 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.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-04a34b
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035009-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services


CPV Codes

85100000 - Health services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£32,275,767 £10M-£100M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
25 Jun 20258 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
29 Jul 20241 years ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Cancelled
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NHS SUFFOLK AND NORTH EAST ESSEX ICB
Contact Name
Jane Garnett
Contact Email
jane.garnett@snee.nhs.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
COLCHESTER
Postcode
CO4 9QR
Post Town
Colchester
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH3 Essex
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH34 Essex Haven Gateway
Delivery Location
TLH14 Suffolk CC, TLH34 Essex Haven Gateway

Local Authority
Colchester
Electoral Ward
Highwoods
Westminster Constituency
Colchester

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

PRACTICE PLUS GROUP URGENT CARE

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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