GP direct access non-obstetric ultrasound service (NOUS)

This is a Contract Award Notice to communicate a contract award made by the Contracting Authority; Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board, (hereinafter referred to as “the Authority”) in compliance with their local standing financial instructions (SFIs). On 29th December 2023, the Authority published a Voluntary Ex-Ante Transparency Notice (VEAT) (Reference 2023/S 000-038011) to inform the market of its intention to award the contract. The Authority applied a voluntary 10-day standstill period prior to conclusion of the contract. The contract award is made to Physiological Measurements Limited (PML) for the provision of GP direct access non-obstetric ultrasound services (NOUS). The proposed new contract is intended to start on 1st April 2024 and end on 31st March 2025. The expected value of this contract is £1,800,000. The value expressed in this notice is the expected value of the 1-year period. Please note that these are expected values and may be amended post contract finalisation with the provider. Physiological Measurements Limited (PML) has been providing this service since 1st April 2019 and is due to expire on 31st March 2024. The total cumulative value of the contract since it started from 2019 – 2024 is £7,857,753, forecast to 31st March 2024. (excluding VAT and excluding the value of this new contract). The Five Year Forward View set out an ambition to deliver more healthcare out of acute hospitals and closer to home, with the aim of providing better care for patients, reducing the number of unplanned bed days in hospital, and reducing net costs. To achieve this objective, the organisation previously known as NHS Herts Valleys CCG (HVCCG) commissioned a range of community services from the independent sector and NHS providers. In January 2019 Physiological Measurements Limited (PML) was awarded a 3-year contract (with the option to extend for another 2 years) to provide the GP direct access non-obstetric ultrasound service (NOUS) following an open market procurement process across south and west Hertfordshire. The service went live on 1st April 2019 being delivered across south and west Hertfordshire with one clinic location in each locality. This service provides community access to clinic locations in each locality across south and west Hertfordshire, mainly delivered in local GP practices. Referrals are managed by way of inclusion and exclusion criteria. The current contract for this service is currently due to end on 31 March 2024. Following an options appraisal carried out by the ICB, the ICB Board concluded that the current PML NOUS service contract would expire on 31 March 2024 and that NOUS activity would be repatriated to local Trusts as part of the future expansion of Community Diagnostic Centre (CDCs). However, an additional capital cost of over £1m has been identified for the transfer of ultrasound activity to local Trusts from April 2024 onwards that has not been accounted for and therefore this option is not viable at the present time. The 12-month extension will allow time to manage NOUS activity in the medium term until Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) are fully operational in HWE.