---
title: "Provision of legal advice and counsel to NHS Essex Integrated Care Board for the duration of an independent statutory inquiry"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-370c19ba-860d-4a0b-ac11-d45e3eaacde2"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-370c19ba-860d-4a0b-ac11-d45e3eaacde2"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-370c19ba-860d-4a0b-ac11-d45e3eaacde2.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-370c19ba-860d-4a0b-ac11-d45e3eaacde2.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "ATTAIN HEALTH MANAGEMENT SERVICES LTD"
published: "2026-04-30"
---

# Provision of legal advice and counsel to NHS Essex Integrated Care Board for the duration of an independent statutory inquiry

Buyer: ATTAIN HEALTH MANAGEMENT SERVICES LTD  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-370c19ba-860d-4a0b-ac11-d45e3eaacde2

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## Summary

The NHS Essex Integrated Care Board, represented by ATTAIN HEALTH MANAGEMENT SERVICES LTD, has concluded an award stage procurement process, selecting Mills & Reeve LLP to provide legal advice and counsel. This engagement is specifically for the duration of the Lampard Inquiry, a statutory investigation into the deaths of mental health inpatients in Essex from 2000 to 2023. The contract, valued at £2,785,134 excluding VAT, is executed as a call-off under the NHS Commercial Solutions Framework Agreement. It spans a period from 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2028 and falls within the legal services category. The process followed a selective procurement method within the East of England.

This tender presents significant opportunities for business growth, notably for large legal firms with expertise in public sector statutory inquiries and NHS frameworks. Although the contract is already awarded, similar future tenders could benefit SMEs due to the framework's suitability for such enterprises. Firms capable of delivering specialised legal advisory and representation services in complex health and legal intersections might find this and similar contracts suitably aligned with their strategic objectives, especially considering the regulatory and high-stakes nature of the NHS inquiries.

## Notice

The Contracting Authority (NHS Essex Integrated Care Board) has awarded a compliant Call-Off Contract to Mills and Reeve for provision of legal services under the NHS Commercial Solutions Framework Agreement for the provision of Legal Services (Agreement Reference Number: 5324-4903), in accordance with the Framework's specific guidance and rules. This is an NHS approved Framework for Legal Services. The scope of this service is continuity of existing provision of legal advice and counsel to NHS Essex Integrated Care Board for the duration of an independent statutory inquiry investigating the deaths of mental health inpatients in Essex between 2000 and 2023 (the Lampard Inquiry). The contract will run for 24 months commencing 01st April 2026 and expiring 31st March 2028. The aggregate contract value awarded is PS2,785,134 excluding VAT. This Contract Award Notice is being published in accordance with the requirements for sub-central contracting authorities, NHS Trusts and NHS Foundation Trusts where the contract value is at least PS30,000 inclusive of VAT in accordance with the Public Contract Regulations 2015, which govern the Framework Agreement his Call-Off Contract is associated with.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/a1d4568a-94f3-4099-964b-319eedc249cf |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Call-off from a framework agreement |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 30 Apr 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 31 Mar 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 27 Mar 2026 |
| Contract period | 31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £2,785,134 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £2,785,134 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | ATTAIN HEALTH MANAGEMENT SERVICES LTD |
| Locality | CHELMSFORD |
| Post town | Chelmsford |
| Postcode | CM1 1QH |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLH East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLH3 Essex |
| ITL 3 | TLH36 Heart of Essex |
| Local authority | Chelmsford |
| Electoral ward | Moulsham and Central |
| Westminster constituency | Chelmsford |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | MILLS & REEVE |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 79100000 - Legal services
- 79110000 - Legal advisory and representation services
- 79111000 - Legal advisory services
- 79140000 - Legal advisory and information services

## Release History

- 30 Apr 2026 at 14:34 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/a1d4568a-94f3-4099-964b-319eedc249cf

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/a1d4568a-94f3-4099-964b-319eedc249cf
  30th April 2026 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder

## Notice URLs

- https://www.essex.icb.nhs.uk/

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-370c19ba-860d-4a0b-ac11-d45e3eaacde2. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-370c19ba-860d-4a0b-ac11-d45e3eaacde2.json.