Tender

NQB Effective Safe Staffing Evidence Reviews

NHS ENGLAND

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

08 Dec 2025 at 11:36

Summary of the contracting process

NHS England is initiating a tender for the "NQB Effective Safe Staffing Evidence Reviews", focusing on the health services industry within the United Kingdom. The contract involves a comprehensive programme to enhance staffing resources for safer healthcare staffing across multiple areas, with the procurement stage currently active. The process is being managed under open, below-threshold competitive procedures. Submissions must be entered through the Atamis tendering portal before 12 January 2026. The tender comprises five distinct lots involving critical care, community nursing, operating theatres, children's services, and neonatal care, with gross values for each lot estimated at £22,800.

This tender opens doors for businesses specialising in healthcare consultancy and staffing optimisation, particularly those with expertise in evidence reviews and resource management for critical and community healthcare services. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs), are encouraged to apply, given the programme's particular focus on diverse health service provision. Businesses involved can anticipate engaging in strategic roles with a significant emphasis on technical delivery, accounting for 70% of the award criteria, thus offering substantial opportunities for business growth through association with a central government entity like NHS England.

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Notice Title

NQB Effective Safe Staffing Evidence Reviews

Notice Description

NHS England has been commissioned by the National Quality Board (NQB) to oversee the development of a contemporary suite of improvement resources for safer staffing. The programme will update the existing improvement resources and will write brand new safe staffing resources via working groups chaired by strategic influencers and attended by subject matter experts. There are five focuses for this Safe Staffing programme, and they will be split into Lots. Lot 1: The Children & Young People's Critical Care Services Lot 2: The Community & District Nursing Services Lot 3: Operating Theatres Lot 4: Children & Young People's Community Services Lot 5: Neonatal Services

Lot Information

The Children & Young People's Critical Care Services

This evidence review will be to support safe staffing in Children and Young People's Critical Care Services in NHS hospitals. The scope includes both intensive and high dependency care delivered within discrete locations such as Intensive Care Units (ICU), High Dependency Units (HDU) or combined/co-located units. The guidance will focus on critical care service provision at Level 3, though Level 2 will be considered as appropriate.

The Community & District Nursing Services

This evidence review will be to support safe staffing in NHS community services and will consider clinical establishment setting, approval and deployment from the team leader of the community service to the board of directors. Community health teams support people with complex health and care needs to live independently for as long as possible. Services are delivered in people's homes, including care homes, but also in community hospitals, intermediate care facilities and clinics.

Operating Theatres

This evidence review will be to support safe staffing in Operating Theatres in NHS hospitals in England, including surgical perioperative and postoperative services. It will consider clinical establishment setting, approval and deployment from the multidisciplinary team across surgical and perioperative pathways.

Children & Young People's Community Services

This evidence review will be to support safe staffing in NHS children and young people's (CYP) community services and will consider clinical establishment setting, approval and deployment from the team leader of the community service to the board of directors. CYP Community health teams support young people with complex health and care needs to live independently for as long as possible. Scope includes services delivered in people's homes, in community hospitals, intermediate care facilities and clinics.

Neonatal Services

This evidence review will be to support safe staffing in NHS neonatal services over the whole pathway of care for newborn babies, ranging from intensive care through to community outreach. Scope includes wherever neonates may also be cared for - i.e. in infant and children's wards areas in specialist children's hospitals or district general hospitals.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05f08f
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/080520-2025
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services


CPV Codes

85100000 - Health services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£95,000 Under £100K
Lots Value
£95,000 Under £100K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 Dec 20252 months ago
Submission Deadline
12 Jan 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Feb 2026 - 31 May 2026 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NHS ENGLAND
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
england.commercialqueries@nhs.net
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SE1 8UG
Post Town
South East London
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI45 Lambeth
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Lambeth
Electoral Ward
Waterloo & South Bank
Westminster Constituency
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green

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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