Integrated Urgent Care Services covering Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Central East (excl. Cambridge and Peterborough)

NHS Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board, NHS Essex Integrated Care Board and NHS Central East Integrated Care Board (together, the “Relevant Authorities”) are collaboratively restarting the development of proposals for the future commissioning of Collaborative Integrated Urgent Care Services across their respective geographical footprints, excluding Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. This reflects the evolution of the previous two-ICB proposition into a tri-ICB programme and presents an opportunity to consider a more consistent, resilient and integrated regional approach to urgent care delivery. Each Relevant Authority will remain accountable for its own statutory decisions, with final governance, delegation and contracting arrangements to be agreed.<br/><br/>The Relevant Authorities anticipate that any future provider selection process for services within scope would be undertaken in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 (“PSR”). The current working assumption is that any future procurement would utilise the Competitive Process under the PSR, although this remains subject to market engagement, development of the procurement strategy, governance and approval.<br/><br/>The opportunity under consideration relates to the future delivery of Collaborative Integrated Urgent Care Services. The emerging scope includes, but may not be limited to:<br/>

• NHS 111 services;<br/>
• Clinical Assessment Services;<br/>
• GP Out of Hours services; and<br/>
• Urgent Care Coordination Hub arrangements, including local variants currently operating across the participating systems (also known as “Urgent Care Coordination Hub”, “Urgent Community Care Hub” and “Unscheduled Care Coordination Hub”).<br/><br/>The Relevant Authorities are exploring a transformation programme rather than a straightforward replacement of existing arrangements. The ambition is to enable patients to tell their story once, receive a trusted clinical assessment and be navigated to the right care, closer to home where appropriate. The programme also aims to improve patient access and experience, support safer and more integrated pathways, strengthen operational resilience, reduce avoidable pressure on emergency services, enable digital interoperability and innovation, and deliver sustainable whole-life value for local populations.<br/><br/>The emerging model will consider equity of access across different geographies and population groups, including digital access, language needs and reasonable adjustments, particularly for people experiencing poorer access or outcomes.<br/><br/>The starting proposition is a more integrated urgent care pathway across the participating footprints, whilst retaining local variation where justified by population need, geography or service requirements. However, no final decisions have been made regarding the future service scope, geographic configuration, lotting arrangements, provider model, contractual structure, payment mechanism, contract term, mobilisation approach or detailed service specification. These matters remain under development and will be informed by governance, clinical and service design work, and evidence obtained through market engagement.<br/><br/>The Relevant Authorities currently anticipate a service commencement date of 1 October 2028, subject to governance approval, completion of any future provider selection process, applicable review requirements and successful mobilisation. The current planning assumption is an indicative six-month mobilisation period, subject to market evidence and the eventual service scope, provider model and workforce, digital and estates requirements.<br/><br/>Indicative annual and total contract values, contract term and extension options, workforce requirements, annual activity levels and population coverage are to be confirmed. All information is indicative only and remains subject to further development, governance approval and procurement outcomes.<br/><br/>This notice begins a fresh, phased programme of market engagement intended to obtain proportionate, comparable and auditable evidence regarding, amongst other matters:<br/>
• market appetite, capability and capacity;<br/>
• service and geographic configuration;<br/>
• lotting, delivery, partnership, consortium and subcontracting models;<br/>
• competition, market accessibility and opportunities for smaller or specialist providers;<br/>
• market sustainability, supply-chain resilience and the management of provider dependency;<br/>
• innovation, digital interoperability and appropriate data access;<br/>
• workforce, commercial viability and mobilisation requirements;<br/>
• service continuity, transition, handover, provider failure and exit arrangements;<br/>
• barriers to participation; and<br/>
• the activity, demand, workforce, finance, estates, digital and pathway information providers would require to assess deliverability and develop robust proposals.<br/><br/>The Relevant Authorities intend to use this evidence to inform the future service model, procurement strategy, contract structure, lotting arrangements, implementation timetable, mobilisation requirements and future procurement documentation. The evidence will also inform how future flexibility, service continuity, supply-chain resilience and effective transition and exit arrangements should be addressed under different provider and contract models. A clear audit trail will be maintained to demonstrate how market engagement findings have influenced subsequent decision-making.<br/><br/>This Notice launches Phase 1 of the planned engagement, and an update or corrigendum is expected in early February 2027 before the more detailed Phase 2 engagement.<br/><br/>This is a planning notice for market engagement, not a call for competition. It does not invite tenders or binding commercial proposals and does not commit the Relevant Authorities to a particular procurement route, lotting structure, service configura…