Award

CLINICAL CODER

CARDIFF AND VALE UNIVERSITY HEALTH BOARD

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

25 Feb 2026 at 11:28

Award

25 Feb 2026 at 09:57

Summary of the contracting process

The Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is conducting a public procurement process for the services of Accredited Clinical Coders (ACC) to support its Clinical Coding Department in Cardiff, United Kingdom. The procurement is being managed by the NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership and aims to meet Welsh Government coding completeness targets. This tender falls under the services category within the healthcare industry and addresses a staffing shortfall impacted by increased remote working opportunities and competitive salaries elsewhere. The contract, which follows a direct award procurement method due to a limited market, will secure agency ACC cover from 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2027. The performance of the coders will be rigorously monitored with expectations of 95% accuracy and penalties for non-compliance with targets. The main procurement stage of this process, the contract award, has been scheduled with notable dates, including the standstill period ending on 6th March 2026 and future signature due on 27th March 2026.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specialising in the provision of healthcare personnel, particularly those capable of supplying adequately skilled and accredited clinical coders. Companies like Placing Talent Limited, a large supplier already identified in the process, exemplify the type of business well-suited to meet this demand. Businesses with expertise in healthcare staffing and the ability to navigate the precise requirements of NHS Wales, including adherence to local and national coding standards, can find growth by contributing solutions to the Health Board's coding challenges. With the Health Board relying increasingly on agency staff due to recruitment difficulties, suppliers that can provide continuity and achieve the expected technical performance stand to benefit considerably from securing such contracts.

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

Notice Title

CLINICAL CODER

Notice Description

The Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (CAVUHB) requires the provision of Accredited Clinical Coders (ACC) to support the Clinical Coding Department in meeting Welsh Government coding completeness targets. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, CAVUHB has faced significant challenges in recruiting and retaining permanent coding staff due to increased remote-working opportunities across the UK and higher pay offered by English trusts. As a result, the Health Board has become increasingly reliant on agency clinical coders to offset an internal staffing shortfall of approximately 8 WTE.The national market for on-site clinical coders has become highly competitive, with reduced availability among agencies and no single agency able to supply sufficient numbers to meet departmental demand. Consequently, CAVUHB has relied on multiple single-supplier call-offs to ensure continuity of service. This procurement will secure agency ACC cover from April 2026 to March 2027 to maintain operational throughput while permanent recruitment continues.The contract will provide ACCs capable of delivering high-volume, high-accuracy clinical coding across a range of specialities, based on site at UHW and UHL. Coders will work under the direction of the Clinical Coding Manager, following weekly prioritisation instructions and adhering to national and local clinical coding standards. Coders will be required to deliver a minimum agreed output and achieve 95% accuracy, with performance monitored weekly. Failure to meet output or accuracy targets will result in removal of individual coders from the contract.This procurement ensures business continuity, supports statutory reporting requirements, and enables the Health Board to improve coding completeness during a period of staffing shortage. The scope is limited to the Health Records/Clinical Coding Department and will not include additional services outside this remit. The requirement reflects a continuation of existing operational need, with no major changes to service delivery anticipated beyond securing a stable, compliant, and consistent coding resource.

Procurement Information

The requirement for Accredited Clinical Coders cannot be met through open competition because the national market is extremely constrained, with only a very small number of specialist agencies capable of supplying ACC-qualified coders. These agencies are the only providers with access to a sufficiently trained and accredited workforce, and no reasonable alternative exists that can meet the required technical standards, accuracy levels, and onsite operational requirements within the timescales needed to maintain statutory coding completeness targets. As such, effective competition is not available, and the service can only be provided by suppliers with specialised capability and accreditation, meeting the "technical reasons" justification for a direct award.The required services rely on access to proprietary tools, systems, and protected methodologies that are owned and controlled exclusively by the provider. Only the rights-holder can lawfully supply these elements, and no alternative supplier is permitted to use or replicate the protected components essential for delivering the service to the required standard. As these exclusive rights prevent any other supplier from delivering a compliant or safe service, there is no reasonable substitute or alternative provider available in the market. This aligns with the permitted legal justification for direct award where the protection of exclusive rights makes competition impossible, and therefore supports the use of a Transparency Notice to formally notify the market of the intention to award directly.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-065bb4
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016798-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security


CPV Codes

79610000 - Placement services of personnel

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£388,629 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
25 Feb 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
23 Feb 20262 weeks ago
Contract Period
31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
CARDIFF AND VALE UNIVERSITY HEALTH BOARD
Additional Buyers

NHS WALES SHARED SERVICES PARTNERSHIP (HOSTED BY VELINDRE UNIVERSITY NHS TRUST)

Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
CARDIFF
Postcode
CF14 4HH
Post Town
Cardiff
Country
Wales

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLL Wales
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLL5 South East Wales
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLL51 Central Valleys and Bridgend
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Rhondda Cynon Taf
Electoral Ward
Taff's Well
Westminster Constituency
Cardiff North

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

PLACING TALENT

Further Information

Notice Documents

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-065bb4-2026-02-25T11:28:45Z",
    "date": "2026-02-25T11:28:45Z",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-065bb4",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PPPR-7969-BTJG",
            "name": "Cardiff and Vale University Health Board",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PPPR-7969-BTJG"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Woodland House Maes Y Coed Road",
                "locality": "Cardiff",
                "postalCode": "CF14 4HH",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKL22"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "Nicola.williams33@wales.nhs.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "url": "http://nwssp.nhs.wales/ourservices/procurement-services/",
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
                    },
                    {
                        "id": "GB-WLS",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_DEVOLVED_REGULATIONS",
                        "description": "Welsh devolved regulations apply"
                    }
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PXWV-6492-CGMN",
            "name": "NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust)",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PXWV-6492-CGMN"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "4-5 Charnwood Court Heol Billingsley",
                "locality": "Cardiff",
                "postalCode": "CF15 7QZ",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKL15"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "Corporate.Services2@wales.nhs.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "procuringEntity"
            ],
            "roleDetails": "NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP), hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust, provides essential shared services for NHS Wales by delivering high-quality administrative, technical, and professional support across areas such as procurement, HR, finance, legal services, and more, helping Health Boards and Trusts operate efficiently and consistently across the country"
        },
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PDVV-9229-ZLDD",
            "name": "Placing Talent Limited",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PDVV-9229-ZLDD"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "9 HIgh Street Woburn Sands",
                "locality": "Milton Keynes",
                "postalCode": "MK17 8RF",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKJ12"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "jack@placingtalent.co.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "supplier"
            ],
            "details": {
                "scale": "large",
                "vcse": false,
                "publicServiceMissionOrganization": false,
                "shelteredWorkshop": false
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PPPR-7969-BTJG",
        "name": "Cardiff and Vale University Health Board"
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "CAV-DCO (25-26) 201",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "CLINICAL CODER",
        "description": "The Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (CAVUHB) requires the provision of Accredited Clinical Coders (ACC) to support the Clinical Coding Department in meeting Welsh Government coding completeness targets. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, CAVUHB has faced significant challenges in recruiting and retaining permanent coding staff due to increased remote-working opportunities across the UK and higher pay offered by English trusts. As a result, the Health Board has become increasingly reliant on agency clinical coders to offset an internal staffing shortfall of approximately 8 WTE.The national market for on-site clinical coders has become highly competitive, with reduced availability among agencies and no single agency able to supply sufficient numbers to meet departmental demand. Consequently, CAVUHB has relied on multiple single-supplier call-offs to ensure continuity of service. This procurement will secure agency ACC cover from April 2026 to March 2027 to maintain operational throughput while permanent recruitment continues.The contract will provide ACCs capable of delivering high-volume, high-accuracy clinical coding across a range of specialities, based on site at UHW and UHL. Coders will work under the direction of the Clinical Coding Manager, following weekly prioritisation instructions and adhering to national and local clinical coding standards. Coders will be required to deliver a minimum agreed output and achieve 95% accuracy, with performance monitored weekly. Failure to meet output or accuracy targets will result in removal of individual coders from the contract.This procurement ensures business continuity, supports statutory reporting requirements, and enables the Health Board to improve coding completeness during a period of staffing shortage. The scope is limited to the Health Records/Clinical Coding Department and will not include additional services outside this remit. The requirement reflects a continuation of existing operational need, with no major changes to service delivery anticipated beyond securing a stable, compliant, and consistent coding resource.",
        "status": "complete",
        "procurementMethod": "direct",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Direct award",
        "procurementMethodRationale": "The requirement for Accredited Clinical Coders cannot be met through open competition because the national market is extremely constrained, with only a very small number of specialist agencies capable of supplying ACC-qualified coders. These agencies are the only providers with access to a sufficiently trained and accredited workforce, and no reasonable alternative exists that can meet the required technical standards, accuracy levels, and onsite operational requirements within the timescales needed to maintain statutory coding completeness targets. As such, effective competition is not available, and the service can only be provided by suppliers with specialised capability and accreditation, meeting the \"technical reasons\" justification for a direct award.The required services rely on access to proprietary tools, systems, and protected methodologies that are owned and controlled exclusively by the provider. Only the rights-holder can lawfully supply these elements, and no alternative supplier is permitted to use or replicate the protected components essential for delivering the service to the required standard. As these exclusive rights prevent any other supplier from delivering a compliant or safe service, there is no reasonable substitute or alternative provider available in the market. This aligns with the permitted legal justification for direct award where the protection of exclusive rights makes competition impossible, and therefore supports the use of a Transparency Notice to formally notify the market of the intention to award directly.",
        "procurementMethodRationaleClassifications": [
            {
                "id": "singleSuppliersTechnicalReasons"
            },
            {
                "id": "singleSuppliersIntellectualPropertyExclusiveRights"
            }
        ],
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "status": "complete"
            }
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "conflictOfInterest",
                "documentType": "conflictOfInterest",
                "description": "Not published"
            }
        ],
        "riskDetails": "There is a risk of insufficient availablity of Accredited Clinical Coders, which may limited suppliers ability to maintain consistent cover. Performance may also vary between individual coders, affecting accuracy and throughput. Service continuity risks exist if coders withdraw or replacements are delayed, potentially creating backlogs."
    },
    "awards": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "title": "CLINICAL CODER",
            "status": "pending",
            "value": {
                "amountGross": 466354,
                "amount": 388629,
                "currency": "GBP"
            },
            "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
            "aboveThreshold": true,
            "suppliers": [
                {
                    "id": "GB-PPON-PDVV-9229-ZLDD",
                    "name": "Placing Talent Limited"
                }
            ],
            "items": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "additionalClassifications": [
                        {
                            "scheme": "CPV",
                            "id": "79610000",
                            "description": "Placement services of personnel"
                        }
                    ],
                    "deliveryAddresses": [
                        {
                            "region": "UKL2",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        },
                        {
                            "region": "UKL22",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        }
                    ],
                    "relatedLot": "1"
                }
            ],
            "contractPeriod": {
                "startDate": "2026-04-01T00:00:00+01:00",
                "endDate": "2027-03-31T23:59:59+01:00"
            },
            "relatedLots": [
                "1"
            ],
            "documents": [
                {
                    "id": "016750-2026",
                    "documentType": "awardNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK5",
                    "description": "Transparency notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016750-2026",
                    "datePublished": "2026-02-25T09:57:34Z",
                    "format": "text/html"
                },
                {
                    "id": "016798-2026",
                    "documentType": "awardNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK6",
                    "description": "Contract award notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016798-2026",
                    "datePublished": "2026-02-25T11:28:45Z",
                    "format": "text/html"
                }
            ],
            "milestones": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "type": "futureSignatureDate",
                    "dueDate": "2026-03-27T23:59:59+00:00",
                    "status": "scheduled"
                }
            ],
            "date": "2026-02-23T00:00:00+00:00",
            "standstillPeriod": {
                "endDate": "2026-03-06T23:59:59+00:00"
            }
        }
    ],
    "language": "en"
}