Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2018-03-08
Buyer: NHS Midlands and Lancashire CSU on behalf of NHS St Helens CCG
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Restricted procedure
CPV classification: 85121100: General practitioner services
Submission deadline: 2018-03-29
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: NHS St Helens CCG is looking for a provider of Primary Care services as part of NHS England’s new “GP Extended Access” initiative. This service will be accessible by all of the patients of the 34 GP practices that are covered by NHS St Helens CCG.
NHS England has introduced a new initiative called “GP Extended Access” with the aim that no patient should have to attend A&E as a walk-in patient as a result of being unable to get an appointment with a GP. NHS St Helens CCG is looking for a provider of Primary Care services as part of NHS England’s initiative. NHS England have developed 7 core national requirements for the delivery of Improved Access in order to bring parity to the Improved Access offer across the country and these requirements are:
This service will be accessible by all of the patients of the 34 GP practices that are covered by NHS St Helens CCG. The GP Improved Access Services will improve access and experience for patients by providing additional capacity for pre-bookable, urgent on the day appointments and appointments booked 5 days in advance, which are more convenient for patients and offer shorter waits, both during and outside traditional general practice hours. These appointments will be evening appointments from Monday to Friday and also during Saturdays and Sundays. Further information is available from www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk and https://mlcsu.bravosolution.co.uk.
There will be an initial contract period of 2,5 years with the option to extend for a further 1-year period. The contract value is estimated to be between 3 500 000 and 4 000 000 GBP over the 3 and half-year contract period.
This procurement is for Social and other specific services which are Light Touch Regime services for the purpose of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 as specified in Schedule 3 of the Regulations (“Regulations”) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/102/schedule/3/made
Accordingly, the Contracting Authority is only bound by those parts of the Regulations detailed in Chapter 3 Particular Procurement Regimes Section 7 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/102/part/2/chapter/3/made
The only selection for type of Procedure was “Restricted” and the Contracting Authority wishes to clarify that this is not a Restricted procedure but “Other” procedure under the Light Touch Regime. The procedure which the Contracting Authority is following is set out in the procurement documents.
As the CCG is a relevant body for the purpose of the National Health Service (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) (nº 2) Regulations 2013 these Regulations also apply to this procurement.
Right to Cancel: The Contracting Authority reserves the right to discontinue the procurement process at any time, which shall include the right not to award a contract or contracts, and does not bind itself to accept the lowest tender, or any tender received, and reserves the right to award a contract in part, or to call for new tenders should it consider this necessary.
The Contracting Authority shall not be liable for any costs or expenses incurred by any candidate or tenderer in connection with the completion and return of the information requested in this Contract Notice, or in the completion or submission of any tender, irrespective of the outcome of the competition or if the competition is cancelled or postponed.
All dates, time periods and values specified in this notice are provisional and the Contracting Authority reserves the right to change these.
Transparency: The Contracting Authority is subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR) and may be required to disclose information received in the course of this procurement under FOIA or the EIR.
In addition, and in accordance with the UK Government's policies on transparency, the Contracting Authority intends to publish procurement documentation and the text of any resulting contractual arrangements, subject to possible redactions at the discretion of the Contracting Authority.
Any redactions, whether in relation to information requests under FOIA, the EIR or policies on transparency will be in accordance with those grounds prescribed under the Freedom of Information Act. If and when this requirement is offered to tender, this will be done via electronic means using the internet. Midlands and Lancashire CSU is conducting this procurement exercise as a central purchasing body for another NHS body with whom the successful bidder(s) will enter into contracts for the supply of the services.
Any other public-sector body detailed within this notice, wishing to access the contract may do so only with permission from the contracting NHS body.