Pan Essex Primary Care Enabler Service

Contracts

• Primary Care Enabling Services –NHS Mail Administration and Registration Authority Services · NHS Arden & Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support Unit

  Signed

  16 Jan 2020

  Value

  £675,818

  Status

  active

  • Change The service commenced from 1st April 2020 with an initial contract term of fifteen-months until 30th June 2021. The PCES contract had the option to extend the contract term by a twelve-month period, taking the overall term of the contract to twenty-seven months (until 30th June 2021). In April 2020, the Authority decided to enact the twelve-month contract extension (until 30th June 2022) in accordance with Regulation 72 (a). In March 2022, the Authority made a decision to extend the PCES contractual arrangements with AGEM for a further 12 months, until 30th June 2023, under Regulation 72 (b) (i) and (ii). The contract value of the 12 month extension that this Modification Notice pertains to is £252,622 (including VAT) and £210,518.33 (excluding VAT). This brings the total contract term since commencement to 39 months, and a total aggregate value of £810,983 (including VAT) and £675,818.33 (excluding VAT). This decision has been made on the basis that: National changes have been delayed to disband Clinical Commissioning Groups by April 2022 and moving their functions to statutory Integrated Care Board. Given the original expiry date, the Authority would have to commence the re-procurement of the PCES services at the same time as they are due to shadow form and transition into the ICS. At present Essex resides within three different STPs (Mid and South Essex, Hertfordshire and West Essex STP and Suffolk and North East Essex STP); it is unclear at present if the formation of ICS’s will widen the geographical boundaries in order to achieve better alignment to Local Authorities. The provider has confirmed that the Essex-wide PCES twelve-month extension would only be subject to a 1% inflationary uplift (an increase of £2,501) which the Authority deems minor as it is applied to support the Provider to balance it's costs only, and does not change the economic balance of the contract in favour of the Provider. The additional 12 months aligns the PCES contract with the expiry of the Authority's Essex-wide Corporate and GP IT Service Management (ITSM) contract, enabling these contracts to be co-terminus and bundled together for any future procurement opportunity. When this service was originally procured via the HSSF there was only one bidder. It is likely that if the Authority were to tender these services alone (without the ITSM services) that they would receive limited interest due to the fixed financial envelope and contract term required and potential TUPE implications as a result of any resulting service provision change. The additional time allows the Authority to embed and develop an ICS, providing the optimum time required for the programme of work in order to determine the most appropriate future commissioning strategy for IT services (including the Authority's Essex-wide Corporate and GP IT Service Management (ITSM) contract as well as PCES and any other complementary services). The continued alignment of these contracts will mean that when the Authority re-procures services these can be procured collectively., Need for additional works, services or supplies by the original contractor/concessionaire: National changes have been delayed to disband Clinical Commissioning Groups by April 2022 and moving their functions to statutory Integrated Care Board. Given the original expiry date, the Authority would have to commence the re-procurement of the PCES services at the same time as they are due to shadow form and transition into the ICS. At present Essex resides within three different STPs (Mid and South Essex, Hertfordshire and West Essex STP and Suffolk and North East Essex STP); it is unclear if the formation of ICS’s will widen the geographical boundaries in order to achieve better alignment to Local Authorities. The additional 12 months aligns the PCES contract with the expiry of the Authority's Essex-wide Corporate and GP IT Service Management contract, enabling these contracts to be co-terminus and bundled together for any future procurement opportunity, making this a more attractive contract to the market but also more resource efficient procurement for Bidders and Authority.

Dispute resolution & review bodies

• High Court of Justice of England and WalesReview body London