Market Engagement for Commercial Strategy for Urgent Care PPs

SCAS provides urgent care to more than four million people across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, and Oxfordshire. To achieve 999 operational performance, and response time standards, the Trust relies partly on the use of commercial ‘Private Provider’ resources to support its own in-house capacity.

The requirement to use external resources is continuing to grow as demand increases. The spend on the Private Providers for the previous four years has been approximately £15 million per annum, for the forthcoming year from 1st April 2022, the spend is forecasted at £30 million.

SCAS, as lead Contracting Authority, is seeking via this Prior Information Notice (PIN) to engage with the market with previous, current, and potentially new Private Providers by understanding the market. By understanding the market to establish the strategy for the next five-year period.

SCAS’s requirements for the Commercial Strategy for Urgent Care PPs is to successfully fulfil project objectives and complete the project as intended throughout the Trust.

The objectives are as follows:

1. A full commercial review of all aspects pertaining to Urgent Care provision undertaken by Private Providers, including but not limited to:

• The cost of delivery - from staff to vehicles to premises and clinical compliance.
• The 'company model' in terms of the structure, methodology, market sustainability and employment contracts.
• Scalability.
• Internal training and development
• Contract length.
• Adding value to the NHS in terms of other services provided such as NEPTS, training for NHS staff.

2. Developing a more effective and constantly improving supplier relationship model in line with the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply.
3. The output of an effective rolling Commercial Strategy that works with the market to meet the ever-changing needs of the NHS.

The current Private Providers are issued with a 12-month contract from 31st March – 1st April. SCAS has been issuing the same contract for 4 years with very little or no input from the Private Providers.

The current model of tendering for the Urgent Care via Private Providers is not fully meeting the Trust requirements. The recommendation, therefore, is to engage with the market and drive the required change that is essential to meet the Trust needs effectively.