---
title: "Provision of Medical Cover for In-patient Wards in Community Hospitals"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-061374"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-061374"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-061374.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-061374.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "COUNTY DURHAM AND DARLINGTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST"
published: "2026-01-30"
---

# Provision of Medical Cover for In-patient Wards in Community Hospitals

Buyer: COUNTY DURHAM AND DARLINGTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-061374

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-061374)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-061374.json)

## Summary

The County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust is in the planning stage of a procurement process titled "Provision of Medical Cover for In-patient Wards in Community Hospitals". This contract falls under the services category, specifically community health services (CPV code 85323000). The process aims to secure medical cover for inpatient wards at Sedgefield, Chester-Le-Street, and Shotley Bridge Community Hospitals in the UK. A preliminary market engagement notice was published on 30th January 2026, with key milestone engagement scheduled to be due by 16th February 2026. The contract is set to start on 1st April 2026 and end on 31st March 2027. The process follows the Most Suitable Provider method under the Provider Selection Regime, ensuring the involvement of relevant award decision-makers, including the Associate Director of Operations and the Senior Management Accountant Community Services.

This tender offers significant opportunities for growth, especially for businesses specialising in health services and medical staffing solutions. Given the focus on using GPs to maintain patient safety and discharge flow, organisations with expertise in providing qualified healthcare professionals to support community hospital operations are well-suited to compete. Companies capable of demonstrating a consistent track record in delivering high-quality medical staffing within tight timelines will find this tender particularly beneficial. The projected start of the contract in April 2026 provides ample time for preparatory activities, allowing interested businesses to align their resources and strategic objectives with the requirements of this contract, potentially gaining a foothold in the public health sector.

## Notice

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust have a requirement for Medical Cover for In-patient Wards at Sedgefield Community Hospital (SCH), Chester-Le-Street Community Hospital (CLS) & Shotley Bridge Community Hospital (SBH). The service is to utilise GPs to maintain patient safety and discharge flow within community wards.

### Planning Information

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust is intending to follow the Most Suitable Provider process under the Provider Selection Regime to award a contract for Medical Inpatient Cover at Sedgefield Community Hospital (SCH), Chester-Le-Street Community Hospital (CLS) & Shotley Bridge Community Hospital (SBH). The contract title is Provision of Medical Cover for In-patient Wards in Community Hospitals. The reference is 201819_151. Relevant CPV Code is 85323000: Community health services. Award decision makers would be Associate Director of Operations Community Services and Senior Management Accountant.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008639-2026 |
| Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 30 Jan 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 16 Feb 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Planning |
| Lots status | Planning |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | COUNTY DURHAM AND DARLINGTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST |
| Locality | DARLINGTON |
| Post town | Darlington |
| Postcode | DL3 6HX |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC3 Tees Valley |
| ITL 3 | TLC33 Darlington |
| Local authority | Darlington |
| Electoral ward | Pierremont |
| Westminster constituency | Darlington |
| Delivery location | TLC North East (England) |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85100000 - Health services

## Release History

- 30 Jan 2026 at 16:27 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008639-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008639-2026
  30th January 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.cddft.nhs.uk
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-h6vhtk-061374. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-061374.json.