Primary Enhanced Service (PES)

Description

This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) confirmation of contract award notice published by NHS Essex Integrated Care Board (the Authority) communicating that a contract has been awarded to GP Primary Choice Ltd for provision of Primary Enhanced Services, under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. This contract has now been formally awarded using direct award process C, as reflected via this Corrigendum to the original Contract Award Notice (Intention to Award Notice) published on 01/04/2026 (2026/S 000-030564). Lot 1: NHS Essex Integrated Care Board (the Authority) intend to award a contract for provision of Primary Enhanced Services to the existing provider (GP Primary Choice Ltd (GPPC)) following a direct award process C under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. Pursuant to the statutory changes effective from 1 April 2026, the commissioning responsibility for this service transferred from NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (SNEE ICB) to the Authority. Accordingly, the service constitutes an inherited commissioning arrangement arising directly from the organisational transition. Prior to the transfer of commissioning responsibilities, SNEE ICB undertook a Key Criteria assessment to ensure the Decision Makers at this time were satisfied with current performance and reasonably expects the provider to continue to satisfy the proposed contract. The proposed contract is not changing considerably when compared with the previous contract delivered by the named provider. Following the transfer of commissioning responsibility, the Authority's Decision Makers have reviewed the assessment undertaken by SNEE ICB. The Authority confirms that the new Decision Makers are in full agreement with the conclusions reached in that assessment and are satisfied that the provider continues to meet the required standards of performance. The Authority is assured that the provider remains suitable to deliver the proposed contract and is reasonably expected to continue fulfilling all requirements to a high standard. The Authority may wish to introduce additional services during the lifetime of the contract ("Contract modifications"). Such contract modifications will be contemplated where additional requirements are similar and or complementary to the services already included in the Specification, at any given time. Such expansion would be by the addition of services commissioned by the Authority as named in the Contract Notice. To this end, after the award of contract, there is a possibility that the contract may be varied as allowable in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The approximate lifetime value of the contract including any extension if enacted is £6,017,452 (excluding VAT). The contract commences 1 October 2026 - 30 September 2027 with an option to extend for a further period of 12 months from 1 October 2027 - 30 September 2028.