Provision of Primary Care Networks (PCN) Neighbourhood Surge Hubs for NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB)

Description

This is a Contract Award Notice pursuant to Regulation 7 of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 for the provision of PCN Neighbourhood Surge Hubs for NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB. A PSR Direct Award A Process is being followed under the above-named regulations. Direct Award Process A applies when there is an existing provider (or group of providers) of the health care services to which the proposed contracting arrangements relate, and the ICB is satisfied that the health care services to which the proposed contracting arrangements relate are capable of being provided only by the existing provider (or group of providers) due to the nature of the health care services. The ICB believes that Direct Award Process A can apply on the occasions when it requires the Herefordshire and Worcestershire GP practices to undertake additional work for their patient populations. The GP Practices are in effect the only providers who are able to deliver this work due to the nature of the health care services. There are no realistic alternatives to the existing providers. The providers are satisfying the current contract and will likely satisfy the new, non-significantly changed contracts. The contract period is 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2027. The total value is £2,255,000.00 (exc VAT) (plus inflationary uplift once confirmed). Lot 1: The PCN Neighbourhood Surge Hubs service, previously contracted under different local service naming arrangements, have been in place since July 2023. The service has provided additional General Practice capacity delivered at scale to support timely access for patients and contributing to the resilience of core General Practice and the wider urgent care system in Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The current contract period expired on 31 March 2026. The proposed contract will continue the existing service model from 1st April 2026 for 12 months, until 31st March 2027, operating as PCN Neighbourhood Surge Hubs. The proposed contract is not significantly different from the existing agreement and does not meet the threshold for a considerable change under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The service specification, delivery model, and contractual risk profile remain materially unchanged. Delivery of the service is limited to providers that hold a General Medical Services contract and participate in the PCN Enhanced Access Directed Enhanced Service. On this basis, the ICB is satisfied that the existing providers are the only providers capable of delivering the service to the required scale, scope and level of integration. The contract is therefore being awarded under Direct Award A of the Provider Selection Regime (pursuant to Regulation 7). The ICB has satisfied itself that it can demonstrate that PSR Direct Award Process A is the most applicable procurement route under PSR, as it meets the above circumstances with the following justification: i. GPs via their GMS National Contract (i.e., at Section 8) with NHS England are required to provide a range of appointments (consultations) to their patients who are (i) Ill with conditions from which recovery is generally expected (ii) Terminally ill or (iii) Suffering from chronic disease. ii. The above are defined in the GMS National Contract as "essential services" and are to be provided in General Practice core hours. All practices must provide essential services. The Enhanced Access to General Practice Services Directed Enhanced Service (DES) (which can only be commissioned from practices working at scale as a Primary Care Network enables a blend of appointment modes, including digital/remote options for delivering routine services. These appointments are normally outside of core hours including weekends; a proportion can be delivered during core hours if agreed by the ICB. iii. The continuation of providing GP appointments over and above GMS contractual requirements and the DES as commissioned previously by the ICB through the Clinical Excellence and Investment Framework (CEIF) local contract is now needed as an addendum to the GMS contract (e.g. a LES) and\or the PCN Enhanced Access DES (or termed as DES Plus). iv. In order to provide GP appointments to residents to Herefordshire and Worcestershire patients there needs to be access to the GP clinical system to access clinical notes, and access to the existing GP practice appointment books to book patients into the service. There are no alternative providers who, to continue providing more GP appointments, can hold both the: (i) National GMS contract (ii) PCN Enhanced DES. Additional information: This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) Contract Award Notice pursuant to Regulation 7 (Direct Award Process A) of the PSR Regulations. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health and Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 or Procurement Act (PA 2023) 2023 do not apply this award.