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BHRUT/Contact Patient As a Service/DrDoctor

BARKING, HAVERING AND REDBRIDGE UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS TRUST

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

13 Jul 2026 at 15:24

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

13 Jul 2026 at 14:38

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process involving Barking, Havering, and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust as the buying organisation has been recently completed for the "BHRUT/Contact Patient As a Service/DrDoctor" project. This process falls under the services category within the healthcare communication industry and is located in Romford, United Kingdom. The procurement, executed through a direct award, emphasised the need for SMS messaging services as part of a patient engagement portal. The Trust awarded the contract to ICNH Ltd, trading as DrDoctor, on 13th July 2026, with a contract period extending from 1st August 2026 to 31st July 2027. The procurement decision was driven by the necessity to enhance patient care outcomes and experiences while reducing missed appointments, aligning with existing contractual obligations under the legal basis of UK Procurement Act, Schedule 5.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses focused on digital healthcare solutions, particularly those specialising in patient communication and engagement technologies. Companies that can offer interoperable and innovative digital communication services could find promising prospects in similar future tenders. Although the contract has been directly awarded to DrDoctor due to interoperability restrictions and intellectual property rights, it underscores the potential market for solutions that enhance patient interactions and streamline hospital operations. Enterprises looking to compete should possess capabilities in communication technology and integration with healthcare systems, as well as an understanding of intellectual property considerations and the regulatory framework underpinning NHS contracts. The outcome of this procurement also suggests a future re-procurement phase that might explore broader supplier options, offering further business growth avenues.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

BHRUT/Contact Patient As a Service/DrDoctor

Notice Description

Contact Patient As a Service Licence - SMS messaging for the DrDoctor Contract

Procurement Information

The Contracting Authority justifies this direct award pursuant to Schedule 5, Paragraph 5(a) and 5(b) of the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23). The supplier was awarded a contract for the provision of a Patient Engagement Portal by the North East London Integrated Care Board (NEL ICB) following an open tender process in October 2023 and the contracting authority was a named party to this contract. The contract is due to expire in July 2027 with no provisions to extend. The Contracting Authority have been working with the Supplier and are now in a position to go-live with the Patient Engagement Portal that was originally procured by NEL ICB. To support patient care outcomes and patient experience, as well as to prevent cost incurrence from missed appointments, a requirement has been identified to purchase SMS messaging as a bolt on to the Patient Engagement Portal which will allow text message reminders to be sent to patients. To this end the Supplier has provided a proposal for a Contact a Patient As a Service (CPAS) which will co-term with the ICB's overarching contract for the portal. Due to interoperability restrictions applied by the incumbent supplier DrDoctor, this results in the requirement being restricted to the incumbent in line with PA23 and the grounds for intellectual property or exclusive rights apply, as all of the messaging passes through the incumbent supplier's portal and they do not allow the use of other service providers in order to protect their intellectual property. The CPAS also allows the Contracting Authority to access additional functionality which is not part of the NEL ICB contract but is required to increase digital communications with patients which will boost patient engagement, reduce DNAs (Did Not Attend) rates and give patients more control of their care. Due to the co-terminus nature of the proposed award to align with the wider NEL ICB contract expiry in July 2027, the Trust will be seeking either directly or in collaboration with NEL ICB partners, to reprocure a solution. During this reprocurement phase, the Trust will explore procurement options from the wider supplier market in line with its obligations aligned to PA 23. Accordingly, this direct award is lawful under Schedule 5, Paragraph 5 of the Procurement Act 2023. Cost = PS291,433 for 16 month term 1st August 2026 to 31st July 2027.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06c9bc
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065776-2026
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
SME
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

64 - Postal and telecommunications services

CPV Codes

64212100 - Short Message Service (SMS) services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£291,433 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
13 Jul 20262 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
22 Jun 20263 weeks ago
Contract Period
31 Jul 2026 - 31 Jul 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
BARKING, HAVERING AND REDBRIDGE UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS 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
ROMFORD
Postcode
RM7 0AG
Post Town
Romford
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI5 Outer London - East and North East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI52 Barking & Dagenham and Havering
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Havering
Electoral Ward
Rush Green & Crowlands
Westminster Constituency
Romford

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

ICNH LTD T/A DRDOCTOR

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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