This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

TenderUpdate

18 Aug 2026 at 10:52

Award

25 Oct 2024 at 15:04

Summary of the contracting process

NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board commissioned an integrated urgent care service for Milton Keynes. The scope combines NHS 111 and a Clinical Assessment Service, supporting remote triage through telephone and online channels, with clinical assessment and onward referral. NHS 111 uses the NHS Pathways clinical decision support system and an interactive voice response system, including connections to services such as mental health crisis teams. The Clinical Assessment Service provides a multidisciplinary team, including senior responsible GPs, advanced nurse practitioners, pharmacists, dental nurses, mental health nurses and palliative care nurses. The service supports same-day and urgent general practice and wider primary care provision in the BLMK area.

The procurement has been awarded under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, using direct award process C without a prior competition. DHU Healthcare CIC was selected as the supplier for the single service lot, with one bid recorded. The contract was signed on 27 September 2024 and is active. The formal award covers three years from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2028. Its stated value is £5,208,555 over the term; an earlier estimate was approximately £4.9 million plus activity growth, inflation and efficiencies. Evaluation was based entirely on the existing provider’s ability to satisfy the original contract and deliver the proposed service to a sufficient standard; price carried no weighting. The contract is for Milton Keynes.

This requirement demonstrates demand for a large-scale, integrated urgent care operation combining NHS 111, online and telephone triage, clinical assessment and links with urgent primary care. A credible future provider would need to operate a reliable 24/7 service, manage demand-led clinical staffing and support consultations remotely. Relevant capability includes senior GP leadership and access to a multidisciplinary clinical team covering nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, mental health and palliative care. Providers should also be able to use NHS Pathways or an agreed clinical protocol, operate interactive voice response and clinical decision support systems, and connect callers to other services where appropriate. Experience delivering NHS urgent care and coordinating with general practice and unscheduled-care services would be particularly relevant.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

NHS 111 Service - Milton Keynes

Notice Description

NHS 111 Service - Milton Keynes: Integrated Urgent Care (NHS111 and Clinical Assessment Service) services. Integrated Urgent Care Services are inextricably linked to delegated primary care commissioned services and have been considered together when determining a sustainable approach for provision within BLMK.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Integrated Urgent Care (NHS111 and Clinical Assessment Service) services. Integrated Urgent Care Services are inextricably linked to delegated primary care commissioned services and have been considered together when determining a sustainable approach for provision within BLMK. The transformation of IUC directly impacts core general practice and primary services, specifically same day and urgent general practice and vice versa. National policy developments including the development of unscheduled care coordination hubs has been an important consideration as the services are delivered against a national NHSE Service Specification as follows: NHS111 is a remote triage service accessed via telephone or online. Both services use a Clinical Decision Support System called NHS Pathways, to support the remote assessment of callers to 111 or 999, or visitors to NHS111 Online. The 111-telephony service uses an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system. This provides an initial filter to direct callers along the appropriate pathway within the NHS111 process. It can also connect callers directly with another service such as a Mental Health Crisis Team. Clinical Assessment Service (CAS) contains an MDT, with at least one senior responsible GP available 24/7 with additional GPs rostered according to demand. Working with them, also rostered according to demand and local need are specialists such as advanced nurse practitioners, pharmacists, dental nurses, mental health nurses and palliative care nurses. During consultations, CAS clinicians will use a Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) or an agreed clinical protocol to complete the episode on the telephone where possible. The ICB are intending to award a contract an existing provider following direct award process C and the approximate lifetime value of the contract is PS4.9m plus activity growth, cost inflation and efficiencies. The services are intended to be provided for a period of three years from 01st October 2025 to 30th September 2028.

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 the relevant authority by midnight of 06th November 2024. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR'.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-04b173
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078428-2026
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
£4,900,000 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
18 Aug 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
27 Sep 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 Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BEDFORDSHIRE
Postcode
SG17 5TQ
Postcode Area
Stevenage
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH2 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH25 Central Bedfordshire
Delivery Location
TLH2 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire

Local Authority
Central Bedfordshire
Electoral Ward
Shefford
Westminster Constituency
Hitchin

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

DHU Healthcare CIC

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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