Digital Operating Pressure Escalation Level (OPEL) expansion

About the buyer

NHS England runs the NHS in England, and buys as a central healthcare organisation with its own team of procurement professionals. Every tender is advertised on Atamis, the NHS's single eCommercial system, and larger contracts appear on Find a Tender. Much of this procurement flows through framework agreements and the Crown Commercial Service. Clinical services are commissioned directly or through the Provider Selection Regime. Seven regional teams support the commissioning of healthcare services across the country. The central commercial function that develops procurement strategy for the whole NHS sits here.

UK health spending has nearly quadrupled to £241.8bn in 2024/25, £20bn up on the year before. £140.6bn of that went to procurement, the biggest sector of UK public spending and the fastest-growing.

Over the past 5 years, most of NHS England's contract awards have been in education and training, health and social work, and IT services.