Award

Integrated MSK Service

THE PRINCESS ALEXANDRA HOSPITAL NHS TRUST

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

05 Mar 2026 at 15:39

Summary of the contracting process

The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust in Harlow intends to award a contract for Integrated Musculoskeletal (MSK) Services in the community health services category, under a Provider Selection Regime. This process, governed by the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, bypasses the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The service is expected to begin on 1st April 2026 and run until 31st March 2031, with the award notice published on 5th March 2026, initiating a standstill period. Businesses have until 17th March 2026 to submit representations. The procurement method utilised is a direct award without prior competition, focusing on community services at The Princess Alexandra Hospital within the UKH region.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses involved in community health and MSK care to collaborate and expand service offerings. It is particularly beneficial for companies that specialise in physiotherapy, podiatric surgery, pain management, and related services, as the existing provider will continue to deliver comprehensive MSK care across West Essex. The ongoing contract allows for innovation in pathway review, patient satisfaction data collection, and incorporation of technology, offering potential growth and development in these areas. Large-scale enterprises like Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, which already have established operations, may find this advantageous for extending their services and enhancing patient care delivery. Additionally, organisations focused on sustainable practice will appreciate the contract's emphasis on community-based services, reducing travel costs and carbon emissions.

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How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Integrated MSK Service

Notice Description

The provider currently delivers MSK community care across the West Essex area. This includes triage, physiotherapy, Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioners (APP), First Contact Practitioners, podiatric surgery, a pain management team, and podiatry services. The provider offers a high-quality service supported by highly experienced staff who deliver triage, assessment, diagnosis, diagnostics, and treatment to patients.<br/><br/>The intention is to award a contract to the existing provider through the Direct Award Process C.<br/><br/>Service dates: 01/04/2026 - 31/03/2031<br/><br/>Contract value: PS23,743,285<br/><br/>The existing provider is successfully meeting the requirements of the original contract and is expected to continue delivering the proposed contract to a satisfactory standard 100%.

Lot Information

Lot 1

k1. The contract is to remain the same and the provider will continue to provide triage, physiotherapy, APP, FCP, podiatric surgery, pain management and podiatry. Activity plans will remain the same, however the APP plan will have a seasonal variance. There is to be no change to capacity within the service.

The service will be continually monitored but should remain achieving DNA and waiting time KPIs. It is expected that pathway review work will continue which in turn will improve the onward referral rate and support secondary care in increasing conversion to surgery rates.

The provider will be required to regularly collect and submit patient satisfaction data, this is collected but not currently routinely reported.

The provider will continue to review services and new guidance to ensure quality standards are met. The partnership will review how more technology, can be incorporated into the pathway to improve patient experience and focus on prevention as per the 10 year plan.

k2. The contract is not changing so will continue to provide value by providing community services closer to home. As part of the pathway reviews there will be opportunity to provide more in reach to secondary care for follow up outpatient appointments, further reducing the number of consultant appointments required as per Get It Right First Time (GIRFT) guidance.

k3. The provider will continue to provide FCPs in primary care and offer education and peer review to primary care clinicians at GP shut down sessions.

As part of the pathway reviews there is opportunity to have more APPs providing in-reach to consultant clinics to focus on follow up outpatient appointments, as per get it right first time (GIRFT) pathways. The pathway review will also improve referrals, conversion rates to surgery and discharge rates from clinic as we have seen in the shoulder sub-speciality.

The spinal MDT is also expected to be expanded to discuss all patients not just complex patients. The provider is keen to support this and is reviewing capacity and referral rates to see how this can be achieved.

k4. Access to locations will remain unchanged and the current accessible locations will continue to be in place.

FCPs will continue to be in place across the West Essex patch offering MSK care at the beginning of the pathway.

Self referral will continue to be in place ensuring MSK care can be accessed without the need of a GP/primary care appointment

k5. The service will continue to be a provider in the community, at the current locations providing care closer to home, ensuring less travel costs for patients to attend appointments and reducing carbon emissions.

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 standstill period begins on the day after the publication of this notice. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by 17th March 2026. 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-066355
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/020040-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award 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

85323000 - Community health services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
5 Mar 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
5 Mar 20261 weeks 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
THE PRINCESS ALEXANDRA HOSPITAL 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
HARLOW
Postcode
CM20 1QX
Post Town
Chelmsford
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH3 Essex
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH35 West Essex
Delivery Location
TLH East (England)

Local Authority
Harlow
Electoral Ward
Little Parndon & Town Centre
Westminster Constituency
Harlow

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

ESSEX PARTNERSHIP UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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