EPR Community Extension · UK public procurement notice

The Trust justifies this direct award using Schedule 5(7) of the Procurement Act 2023.

The Trust wishes to extend the contract to ensure the continuity of its core clinical information system whilst a procurement is undertaken for a wider solution. The Trust is currently embarking on the strategic convergence of core clinical information systems in compliance with NHS long term strategy and as mandated by the Trust's commitments to NHSE under its Frontline Digitisation Funding MOA.

The three-year extension allows the Trust to co-term its community and acute solutions to support a Trust-wide EPR procurement activity. The term of the extension allows sufficient time to plan and undertake a competitive procurement exercise and sufficient contract term to allow for a safe transition to a new supplier, should they be successful.

The extension ensures that critical software service remain available throughout this period and allow the Trust to engage with the wider marketplace regarding long-term strategic planning. The Trust could not alter the supplier at this time on the grounds that a change would represent significant disruption to the Trust's clinical services. Furthermore, such an action would materially distort future competition for both community and acute services.