Tender

NEL Single Point of Access - Ophthalmology and Enhanced Optometry Services

NHS NORTH EAST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

TenderUpdate

16 Feb 2026 at 16:17

Tender

13 Feb 2026 at 17:43

Summary of the contracting process

The NHS North East London Integrated Care Board (ICB) is conducting a procurement process under the Provider Selection Regime regulations for the NEL Single Point of Access (SPOA) focusing on ophthalmology and enhanced optometry services. This initiative aims to streamline referral management across North East London to reduce costs, enhance service efficiencies, and improve patient-centric education and feedback. Covering seven boroughs, including Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge, and others, this competitive tender invites providers to apply between 13th February 2026 and 20th March 2026, with submissions accepted electronically through Atamis. The service category is health services, and the estimated contract value is £2,405,000.00 with an annual cost of £481,000.00.

This procurement presents substantial growth opportunities for businesses specializing in health services who can offer innovative solutions and demonstrate effective management of community-based ophthalmology services. Companies with expertise in digital enablement, clinical triage, and efficient referral systems are strongly encouraged to participate. The contract requires participants to partner with primary, optometry, community, and secondary care systems, thereby ensuring equitable access to service and fostering collaborative care within the diverse NEL area, home to over 2.2 million people. Forward-thinking providers adept in integrating technology to refine service pathways and mitigate unnecessary referrals to specialist-led services stand to benefit significantly from this opportunity by enhancing patient outcomes and maintaining cost-effectiveness.

Find more tenders on our Open Data Platform.
How relevant is this notice?

D3 Tenders Premium

Win More Public Sector Contracts

AI-powered tender discovery, pipeline management, and market intelligence — everything you need to grow your public sector business.

Notice Title

NEL Single Point of Access - Ophthalmology and Enhanced Optometry Services

Notice Description

North East London (NEL) Integrated Care Board (ICB) is seeking to procure an NEL wide ophthalmology SPOA service that ensures referrals are managed by one provider across the system, serving all our providers equitably with reduced costs, delivering efficiencies and identifying issues to help support the NEL population with targeted and improved education and feedback to referrers. North East London (NEL) Integrated Care Board (ICB) is looking to procure the SPOA across its seven places (Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge, Newham, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets and City and Hackney). The services need to be able to provide fast access improved pathway to enhance referral processing and clinical triage. The SPOA will facilitate digital enablement and innovations with a dynamic system to coordinate advice and refer, capacity planning and implement patient choice. Thereby reducing the pressure and avoidable referrals to specialist led services. The SPOA should provide a strong collaboration between primary, optometry, community and secondary care systems as we are looking for a partnership in delivering the best quality service for NEL patients. The service specification provides details of what will need to be delivered, and we welcome providers who can demonstrate suitable experience of delivering similar services in the community that are both effective and of high quality. The procurement will be undertaken under the Provider Selection Regime regulations, competitive process. Applications are now open from Friday 13th February 2026 with a deadline for applying of the 20th March 2026 17:00. Applications must be made through Atamis.

Lot Information

Lot 1

North East London (NEL) Integrated Care Board (ICB) is seeking to procure a NEL wide ophthalmology SPOA service to manage all referrals from optometrists and GPs to ophthalmology services. The successful provider will work in partnership with commissioners, providers and referrers (GPs and Optometrists) to ensure referrals are processed efficiently and all NEL patients are seen at the right place at the right time. The service will include clinical triage, administration of referrals, referrer/patient education, development of pathways and capacity in the NEL system whilst driving for a reduction in unnecessary referrals and secondary care activity with increased management of eye related issues in primary care and community services. The ICB is looking for a provider that understands how to ensure equitable access that tackles inequalities, enables referrers to learn from feedback and can reduce the overall costs within the NEL system but still help to improve the patients experience and outcomes. The NEL population is diverse and is approximately over 2.2 million people covering seven boroughs (places); Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge (outer NEL), Newham, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets and City and Hackney (Inner NEL). Potential providers should be forward thinking looking to incorporate digitalisation to improve efficiency and build on the core service by using appropriate new technologies to enhance referral and provider capacity management. The SPOA will facilitate the use of technology to coordinate advice and guidance/refer, capacity planning and implement patient choice where required. Thereby reducing the pressure and avoidable referrals to specialist led services. The service specification provides details of the service and outcomes that will need to be delivered, and we welcome providers who can demonstrate suitable experience of delivering similar services in the community that are both effective and of high quality.

Renewal: Two 12 month periods at the authorities discretion.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-065462
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/013993-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
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
£500,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
£500,000 £500K-£1M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
16 Feb 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
14 Feb 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
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 NORTH EAST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD
Contact Name
Thomas Crouch
Contact Email
hub.queries@nhs.net
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
E14 5HJ
Post Town
East London
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI42 Tower Hamlets
Delivery Location
TLI London

Local Authority
Tower Hamlets
Electoral Ward
Blackwall & Cubitt Town
Westminster Constituency
Poplar and Limehouse

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

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.

{
    "tag": [
        "compiled"
    ],
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-065462-2026-02-16T16:17:54Z",
    "date": "2026-02-16T16:17:54Z",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-065462",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "tender": {
        "id": "PRJ2241",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "32014L0024",
            "scheme": "CELEX"
        },
        "title": "NEL Single Point of Access - Ophthalmology and Enhanced Optometry Services",
        "status": "active",
        "classification": {
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "id": "85100000",
            "description": "Health services"
        },
        "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
        "description": "North East London (NEL) Integrated Care Board (ICB) is seeking to procure an NEL wide ophthalmology SPOA service that ensures referrals are managed by one provider across the system, serving all our providers equitably with reduced costs, delivering efficiencies and identifying issues to help support the NEL population with targeted and improved education and feedback to referrers. North East London (NEL) Integrated Care Board (ICB) is looking to procure the SPOA across its seven places (Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge, Newham, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets and City and Hackney). The services need to be able to provide fast access improved pathway to enhance referral processing and clinical triage. The SPOA will facilitate digital enablement and innovations with a dynamic system to coordinate advice and refer, capacity planning and implement patient choice. Thereby reducing the pressure and avoidable referrals to specialist led services. The SPOA should provide a strong collaboration between primary, optometry, community and secondary care systems as we are looking for a partnership in delivering the best quality service for NEL patients. The service specification provides details of what will need to be delivered, and we welcome providers who can demonstrate suitable experience of delivering similar services in the community that are both effective and of high quality. The procurement will be undertaken under the Provider Selection Regime regulations, competitive process. Applications are now open from Friday 13th February 2026 with a deadline for applying of the 20th March 2026 17:00. Applications must be made through Atamis.",
        "value": {
            "amount": 500000,
            "currency": "GBP"
        },
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "description": "North East London (NEL) Integrated Care Board (ICB) is seeking to procure a NEL wide ophthalmology SPOA service to manage all referrals from optometrists and GPs to ophthalmology services. The successful provider will work in partnership with commissioners, providers and referrers (GPs and Optometrists) to ensure referrals are processed efficiently and all NEL patients are seen at the right place at the right time. The service will include clinical triage, administration of referrals, referrer/patient education, development of pathways and capacity in the NEL system whilst driving for a reduction in unnecessary referrals and secondary care activity with increased management of eye related issues in primary care and community services. The ICB is looking for a provider that understands how to ensure equitable access that tackles inequalities, enables referrers to learn from feedback and can reduce the overall costs within the NEL system but still help to improve the patients experience and outcomes. The NEL population is diverse and is approximately over 2.2 million people covering seven boroughs (places); Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge (outer NEL), Newham, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets and City and Hackney (Inner NEL). Potential providers should be forward thinking looking to incorporate digitalisation to improve efficiency and build on the core service by using appropriate new technologies to enhance referral and provider capacity management. The SPOA will facilitate the use of technology to coordinate advice and guidance/refer, capacity planning and implement patient choice where required. Thereby reducing the pressure and avoidable referrals to specialist led services. The service specification provides details of the service and outcomes that will need to be delivered, and we welcome providers who can demonstrate suitable experience of delivering similar services in the community that are both effective and of high quality.",
                "awardCriteria": {
                    "criteria": [
                        {
                            "name": "PSR five key criteria",
                            "type": "quality",
                            "description": "75"
                        },
                        {
                            "name": "FMT",
                            "type": "cost",
                            "description": "25"
                        }
                    ]
                },
                "value": {
                    "amount": 500000,
                    "currency": "GBP"
                },
                "contractPeriod": {
                    "durationInDays": 1080
                },
                "hasRenewal": true,
                "renewal": {
                    "description": "Two 12 month periods at the authorities discretion."
                },
                "submissionTerms": {
                    "variantPolicy": "notAllowed"
                },
                "hasOptions": false,
                "status": "active"
            }
        ],
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "region": "UKI"
                    }
                ],
                "relatedLot": "1"
            }
        ],
        "submissionMethod": [
            "electronicSubmission"
        ],
        "submissionMethodDetails": "https://atamis.co.uk/",
        "procurementMethod": "open",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Open procedure",
        "tenderPeriod": {
            "endDate": "2026-02-14T17:00:00Z"
        },
        "submissionTerms": {
            "languages": [
                "en"
            ]
        },
        "awardPeriod": {
            "startDate": "2026-02-15T17:00:00Z"
        },
        "bidOpening": {
            "date": "2026-02-15T17:00:00Z"
        },
        "hasRecurrence": false,
        "amendments": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "unstructuredChanges": [
                    {
                        "oldValue": {
                            "text": "Value excluding VAT: PS500,000"
                        },
                        "newValue": {
                            "text": "Estimated total revised to reflect total contract value. UPDATE PS2,405,000.00 PS481,000.00 per year"
                        },
                        "where": {
                            "section": "II.1.5",
                            "label": "Estimated total value"
                        }
                    },
                    {
                        "oldValue": {
                            "text": "Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate - 14 February 2026 5:00pm IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders - 15 February 2026 5:00pm"
                        },
                        "newValue": {
                            "text": "Confirmation that Response window is open from 13th February 2026 - 20th March 2026 5:00pm - Please refer to Atamis"
                        },
                        "where": {
                            "section": "IV.2.2",
                            "label": "Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate"
                        }
                    }
                ]
            }
        ]
    },
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-NHS-QMF",
            "name": "NHS North East London Integrated Care Board",
            "identifier": {
                "legalName": "NHS North East London Integrated Care Board",
                "id": "QMF",
                "scheme": "GB-NHS"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "20 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf",
                "locality": "London",
                "region": "UKI41",
                "postalCode": "E14 5HJ",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "name": "Thomas Crouch",
                "email": "hub.queries@nhs.net",
                "url": "https://atamis.co.uk/"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "url": "https://northeastlondon.icb.nhs.uk/",
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "BODY_PUBLIC",
                        "scheme": "TED_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Body governed by public law"
                    },
                    {
                        "id": "07",
                        "scheme": "COFOG",
                        "description": "Health"
                    }
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "id": "GB-FTS-143400",
            "name": "NHS England (London Region)",
            "identifier": {
                "legalName": "NHS England (London Region)"
            },
            "address": {
                "locality": "London",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom"
            },
            "roles": [
                "reviewBody"
            ]
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-NHS-QMF",
        "name": "NHS North East London Integrated Care Board"
    },
    "language": "en"
}