This public procurement record has 5 releases in its history.

AwardUpdate

08 Jul 2026 at 09:19

AwardUpdate

21 Apr 2026 at 14:36

Award

21 Apr 2026 at 14:35

Award

21 Apr 2026 at 14:27

Award

21 Apr 2026 at 13:31

Summary of the contracting process

The public procurement process for the "Prescription Exemption Checking Service (PECS) 2026/2027" has been conducted by NHS England, based in London. This service primarily aligns with the services industry category and focuses on fraud audit services. The procurement method used was a direct award, justified by the absence of competition for technical reasons under the Procurement Act 2023. The contract was awarded to the NHS Business Services Authority, with the procurement stage now complete. The contract is worth £15,138,244 and is effective from 21 April 2026 until 31 March 2027. Key contact for the buyer is David Stack, located at NHS England, and key details about the award were published on 8 July 2026.

This tender presents significant opportunities for business growth in the fraud audit and health services sectors. Companies with expertise in auditing and data verification services are particularly well-suited to compete in similar tenders in the future. The contract underlines a significant budget allocation, suggesting potential for scaling similar services or acquiring substantial tasks within NHS England's procurement initiatives. Large-scale organisations, similar to NHS Business Services Authority, particularly those with experience in government contract compliance, could find promising avenues for partnership or subcontracting opportunities arising from this or future agreements.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Prescription Exemption Checking Service (PECS) 2026/2027

Notice Description

Prescription Exemption Checking Service (DECS) 2026/2027 The Provider will investigate a random sample of prescription claims from patients who have claimed exemption from payment to verify the accuracy of the exemption declared. Claims are verified by cross checking the patient details on the prescription claim against the Provider records of valid exemption schemes which the Provider administer in addition to DWP records.

Procurement Information

Paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023 - absence of competition for technical reasons

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-068788
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/064001-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details 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

85 - Health and social work services


CPV Codes

79212400 - Fraud audit services

85100000 - Health services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£7,511,140 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
£15,138,244 £10M-£100M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 Jul 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
30 Mar 20263 months ago
Contract Period
20 Apr 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NHS ENGLAND
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

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

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
2
Supplier Names

NHS BSA

NHS BUSINESS SERVICES AUTHORITY

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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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