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Dental exemption checking service (Decs) 2026/2027

NHS England

This public procurement record has 5 releases in its history.

AwardUpdate

29 Sep 2026 at 11:37

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
AwardUpdate

08 Jul 2026 at 10:17

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

22 Apr 2026 at 11:02

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

22 Apr 2026 at 10:54

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

22 Apr 2026 at 10:37

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

NHS England commissioned the Dental Exemption Checking Service (DECS) for 2026/2027. The service investigates a random sample of dental claims where patients have claimed exemption from payment, checking whether the exemption declared is accurate. This involves cross-checking patient details on each dental claim against NHS Business Services Authority records for valid exemption schemes it administers, as well as Department for Work and Pensions records. The requirement combines dental and related health services with audit and fraud-checking work. NHS England is the buyer; the service is delivered for the England-wide dental claims process, with checks relying on NHSBSA and DWP records. The successful provider is NHS Business Services Authority, based in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded to NHS Business Services Authority by direct award, using the stated justification that competition was absent for technical reasons. The award date was 31 March 2026. The award value is £15,324,271 gross. A contract was signed on 22 April 2026, covering 22 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, with a contract value of £7,697,167 gross. The process was a single lot, now complete. No evaluation criteria are reported. The contract record includes subsequent cost-change and redaction amendments. The award and contract values are distinct published figures and should not be combined.

For suppliers considering this requirement in future, the appointed provider demonstrates the importance of being able to verify dental exemption claims accurately and at scale. Credible capability would include processing a random sample of dental claims, matching patient and claim details against authoritative records, and checking eligibility across multiple exemption schemes and Department for Work and Pensions data. Suppliers would need secure, dependable access to relevant records, strong data-matching and audit processes, and the operational capacity to handle sensitive patient information consistently. The direct award was justified on technical grounds relating to the absence of competition, so a competitor would need to establish that it can deliver the necessary technical connections and service continuity, as well as the domain expertise to conduct reliable exemption and fraud checks. The contract shows this is a substantial NHS service requirement.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Dental exemption checking service (Decs) 2026/2027

Notice Description

Dental Exemption Checking Service (DECS) 2026/2027 The Provider will investigate a random sample of dental 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 dental 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

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06882f
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091769-2026
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

85130000 - Dental practice and related services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£15,324,271 £10M-£100M
Contracts Value
£7,697,167 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
29 Sep 20264 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
31 Mar 20267 months ago
Contract Period
22 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

Buyer & Supplier

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
Postcode Area
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
1
Supplier Name

NHS Business Services Authority

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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