---
title: "Research into understanding patients' experience of referrals"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-a03f2eaa-0951-43e3-a850-229eff0cbb7e"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-a03f2eaa-0951-43e3-a850-229eff0cbb7e"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-a03f2eaa-0951-43e3-a850-229eff0cbb7e.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-a03f2eaa-0951-43e3-a850-229eff0cbb7e.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "GENERAL MEDICAL COUNCIL (GMC)"
published: "2019-10-01"
---

# Research into understanding patients' experience of referrals

Buyer: GENERAL MEDICAL COUNCIL (GMC)  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-a03f2eaa-0951-43e3-a850-229eff0cbb7e

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-a03f2eaa-0951-43e3-a850-229eff0cbb7e)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-a03f2eaa-0951-43e3-a850-229eff0cbb7e.json)

## Summary

The General Medical Council (GMC) is conducting a procurement process for a research project entitled "Research into understanding patients' experience of referrals." This research, categorised under "Research services," aims to investigate various aspects of patient experiences related to medical referrals, sparked by recent trends in defensive practice among doctors. The procurement stage is at the Award phase, with an active contract awarded to the supplier Trajectory for £35,100 GBP. The contract period will run from 7th May 2019 to 31st October 2019, with the procurement method being an open procedure. The relevant delivery locations include the North West of England and London.

This tender presents substantial opportunities for businesses engaged in research and consultancy services, particularly those specialising in health care and patient experience studies. Companies focused on gathering qualitative data, conducting health-related surveys, or analysing referral practices would be well-positioned to participate in similar future tenders. Given the nature of the research, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may find this a fitting opportunity to expand their portfolio in the healthcare sector, contributing valuable insights that can influence health policy and practices.

## Notice

In light of evidence that doctors are becoming more likely to refer patients on due to, a) an increase in 'defensive practice' and b) workload pressures, we believe it is timely to try to better understand the patient experience of referrals and, therefore, what impact an increase in tactical referrals is likely to have. Research question 1 - Is there a typical patient experience of referrals? If not, what do the range of experiences look like? E.g. including patients with multiple conditions/comorbidities Research question 2 - To what extent do patients who have been referred several times for an issue deem that their referrals were necessary? Research question 3 - What is the impact of being referred, particularly if the patient has already been referred many times for a single condition? Research question 4 - What are patients' views on referral more generally, including their awareness and understanding of unnecessary referrals or those resulting from defensive practice? Research question 5 - What is the impact of multiple referrals on groups who are more likely to be adversely affected, e.g. disabled or elderly people?

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/5511daa2-75d3-4fea-a80a-0298af0d9156 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 1 Oct 2019 |
| Submission deadline | 17 Apr 2019 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 1 May 2019 |
| Contract period | 6 May 2019 - 31 Oct 2019 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £35,100 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £35,100 |
| 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 | GENERAL MEDICAL COUNCIL (GMC) |
| Locality | MANCHESTER |
| Post town | Manchester |
| Postcode | M3 3AW |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLD North West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLD3 Greater Manchester |
| ITL 3 | TLD33 Manchester |
| Local authority | Manchester |
| Electoral ward | Deansgate |
| Westminster constituency | Manchester Central |
| Delivery location | TLD North West (England), TLI London |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | TRAJECTORY |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73110000 - Research services

## Release History

- 1 Oct 2019 at 16:45 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/5511daa2-75d3-4fea-a80a-0298af0d9156

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/5511daa2-75d3-4fea-a80a-0298af0d9156
  1st October 2019 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.mytenders.co.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=OCT158311
  NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the myTenders Web Site at the link provided.

## Notice URLs

- http://www.gmc-uk.org

## 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-a03f2eaa-0951-43e3-a850-229eff0cbb7e. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-a03f2eaa-0951-43e3-a850-229eff0cbb7e.json.