---
title: "Delivery of Protected Learning Time (PLT) for General Practice, Pharmacy, Optometry and Dental"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-077823"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-077823"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077823.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077823.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD"
published: "2026-09-23"
---

# Delivery of Protected Learning Time (PLT) for General Practice, Pharmacy, Optometry and Dental

Buyer: NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-077823

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-077823)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077823.json)

## Summary

NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board commissioned a Protected Learning Time (PLT) service for primary care. The provider is to lead, design, deliver and expand a standardised programme of learning events, initially for general practice and then extending to community pharmacy, optometry and dentistry. The service includes developing the future PLT model with general practices and arranging and funding clinical cover for learning sessions, while maintaining patient access to primary care in person, by telephone and online. The work also includes assessing the capacity and capability needed to extend the same level of support to other primary care professions. Delivery is across North East and North Cumbria.

The procurement has been awarded to Hartlepool & Stockton Health, with an active contract. The ICB used an urgent-circumstances route under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, without a prior competition, citing the risk to patient or public safety from delay. The contract was signed on 1 September 2026 and runs from 1 September 2026 to 31 March 2029; its value is £1,262,000. The ICB states that the term is the minimum needed to align with the associated PCC contract and support continuity and programme objectives. The award decision was made by the ICB’s Neighbourhood Health Sub-Committee. The stated assessment addressed immediate risks to safety and quality of care.

For suppliers considering comparable future work for this ICB, the award indicates demand for an integrated primary-care learning programme spanning general practice, community pharmacy, optometry and dentistry. A credible provider would need to design and co-produce a consistent learning offer, organise and fund clinical cover, and protect patient access during learning sessions across in-person, telephone and online channels. The requirement also calls for the ability to assess workforce capacity and capability and extend delivery across different primary care contractor groups. Because the service is linked to a wider programme and continuity of delivery is a stated concern, relevant experience coordinating interdependent services and sustaining delivery across multiple years would help demonstrate readiness. The buyer selected a provider through the PSR urgent-circumstances route, with the assessment focused on immediate safety and care-quality risks.

## Notice

To lead, design, deliver and expand a model of Protected Learning Time (PLT) for general practice in year 1 (and in year 2 and 3 Pharmacy, Optometry and Dental), ensuring a standardised offer across NENC in terms of the number and type of events and the arrangements and funding for any clinical cover per session.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

To lead, design, deliver and expand a model of Protected Learning Time (PLT) for general practice in year 1 (and in year 2 and 3 Pharmacy, Optometry and Dental), ensuring a standardised offer across NENC in terms of the number and type of events and the arrangements and funding for any clinical cover per session. As a first step, co-produce a future PLT model with general practices, recognising any cover arrangements must comply with the new contractual requirements to ensure patients have access to primary care services in person, on the telephone and through an online consultation tool. Further work will be required in year 1 to scope the capacity and capability needed to provide the same level of support across the wider primary care contractor groups (community pharmacy, optometry and dentistry) for PLT. The relevant authority intends to award this contract under the urgent circumstances provision under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 and Procurement Regulations 2024 do not apply to this award. The lifetime value of the contract is PS1,262,000. Contract Start Date: 01 September 2026 Contract End Date: 31 March 2029

### Procurement Information

This contract has been awarded under the urgent circumstances provision of the Provider Selection Regime (PSR). This contract has been awarded under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 and Procurement Regulations 2024 do not apply to this award.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089925-2026 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 23 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £1,262,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD |
| Locality | SUNDERLAND |
| Postcode area | Sunderland |
| Postcode | SR5 3XB |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear |
| ITL 3 | TLC44 Sunderland |
| Local authority | Sunderland |
| Electoral ward | Castle |
| Westminster constituency | Washington and Gateshead South |
| Delivery location | TLC North East (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | Hartlepool & Stockton Health |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85100000 - Health services

## Release History

- 23 Sep 2026 at 09:24 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089925-2026

## Notice URLs

- https://northeastnorthcumbria.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-h6vhtk-077823. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077823.json.