Patient Administration System Contract Extension

Description

This notice is to inform the market that the Contracting Authority intends to extend the term of its existing contract with System C Healthcare Ltd for the provision of a Patient Administration System (PAS) system (the PAS Contract). The Contracting Authority considers that this extension is a non-substantial modification to the PAS Contract and that therefore it is permitted under Regulation 72(1)(e) Public Contracts Regulation 2015 (PCRs), with there being no requirement for the Contracting Authority to run a new procurement process in this respect of the extension. Before entering into the extension, the Contracting Authority is holding a ten-calendar-day standstill period as contemplated by Regulation 99(3)(c) PCRs. This standstill period commences on the day following the date of publication of this notice. The Contracting Authority will not sign the extension until this standstill period has expired. See section II.2.4 for further details of the background to the need to make the extension, the scope of the extension, and the Contracting Authority's reasons for considering it to be a non-substantial modification under Regulation 72(1)(e) PCRs, meaning that it is not required to run a new procurement process in this respect. Lot 1: The Contracting Authority intends to extend the term of its existing contract with System C Healthcare Ltd for the provision of a Patient Administration System (PAS) system (the PAS Contract). The Contracting Authority considers that this extension is a non-substantial modification to the PAS Contract and that therefore it is permitted under Regulation 72(1)(e) Public Contracts Regulation 2015 (PCRs), with there being no requirement for the Contracting Authority to run a new procurement process in this respect of the extension Background to the need for the extension The extension is required as a consequence of an unexpected non award of a procurement exercise for an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) solution in Q4 2024. The Contracting Authority is required, adjacent to the Hinchingbrooke hospital redevelopment project, to procure an EPR system. The Contracting Authority has initiated Pre Market Engagement under the NHS London Procurement Partnership Clinical Digital Health Solutions Framework (CDHS) in Q1 2026 and anticipates, subject to funding sources being agreed, to be in a position to issue the Invitation To Tender in Q4 2026 to procure a new Electronic Patient Record (EPR) solution contract (the New EPR Procurement). The Contracting Authority recognises that the PAS system is a core digital system deployed within the Trust's digital infrastructure and is critical for managing safe delivery of patient pathways, admissions, scheduling, statutory reporting. As a result, it would not be feasible for another supplier to provide these services within the interim period ahead of the New EPR Procurement. Procuring an alternative software product for the interim period would require entirely rebuilding complex integration feeds with ancillary clinical systems and transitioning to an interim provider would cause immediate, severe disruption to day-to-day clinical workflows and significant risk to patient care. This would create an unacceptable level of clinical risk to patient safety and data integrity. Scope of the extension The PAS Contract was originally awarded in 2017 following a competitive award process under the NHS Shared Business Services' Healthcare Clinical Information System Services (HCIS) framework and is due to expire 21 July 2026. Under the extension the term will be extended (with no other material change to its scope or terms and conditions) by an initial period of 3 years from 22 July 2026 to 21 July 2029. The Contracting Authority will also have optional rights to extend the Term beyond 21 July 2029 by a period or periods of 12 months or more, as a contingency measure (to mitigate the risk of a gap in services should any short-term delay in implementation of the replacement services arise). The maximum, potential term of the extension will, therefore, expire no later than midnight on 21 July 2031. This is to ensure continuous operation of the existing PAS system whilst work is undertaken in readiness for the New EPR Procurement. Justification for the extension The reasons that the extension is permitted under Regulation 72(1)(e) PCRs are as follows: • the extension does not render the PAS Contract materially different in character - nor any renegotiation of material the terms and conditions; • the extension does not amount to a new condition which, if provided for initially, would have been more likely than not to have allowed for the admission of other candidates than those initially selected, allowed for the acceptance of a tender other than that originally accepted, or attracted additional participants in the procurement procedure; • there is no change in economic balance of the PAS Contract in favour of the supplier, System C Healthcare Ltd - the material terms and conditions of the contract are unchanged; and • the scope of the services provided under of the PAS contract is unchanged as a result of the extension. Whilst an Award of Contract date (V.2) has been added to this VEAT the contract variation extension has not been signed yet. Before entering into the extension, the Contracting Authority is holding a ten-calendar-day standstill period as contemplated by Regulation 99(3)(c) PCRs. This standstill period commences on the day following the date of publication of this notice. The Contracting Authority will not sign the extension until this standstill period has expired.