Provision of an Urgent Access Primary Care Service (Out of Hours, Single Point of Access and Outbreak Management) in Herefordshire and Worcestershire

This Intention to Award Notice is issued in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The Procurement relates to the Invitation to Tender for the provision of an Urgent Access Primary Care Service (Single Point of Access, Out of Hours, and Outbreak Management).

The procurement was split into two lots. Lot 1 is service provision for the county of Herefordshire, UK.

This notice is an intention to award a contract under the competitive process.

The contract will be for a period of 3 (three) years with the option to extend for a further 2 (two) year period, plus 1 (one) further year, subject to mutual agreement. (The total lifetime of the contract is therefore 6 (six) years.)

NHS Standard Contract Terms and Conditions will apply.

The anticipated contract commencement date is 08th July 2026.

The approximate lifetime value of the contract for Lot 1 (Herefordshire) including the available extension periods is £15,225,917.94.

Contracts for existing GP-Led Out of Hours services in the counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire are due to expire on 7th July 2026, therefore, the ICB has been seeking to procure a new Urgent Access Primary Care Service (to include an Out of Hours service, a contribution of clinical staff for the provision of primary care advice in the two existing Single Points of Access (SPoAs), and an Outbreak Management service) for the local resident patient population.

The proposed Urgent Access Primary Care Service (SPoA, Out of Hours, and Outbreak Management) will contribute towards the following outcomes for the local resident patient population:

• Improved access for patients to urgent and emergency care advice, assessments and interventions
• Positive patient-reported experience, resulting from timely and informative care
• Improved patient-reported ease of navigation to the most appropriate service
• Effective urgent care responses that prevent unnecessary acute hospital admissions and maximise independent living, including end-of-life care at home
• Effective urgent care responses that contribute to the reduction of health inequalities that people are experiencing.

These services are classed as Health Care services under The Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 (PSR). The ICB has adopted a Competitive Process in accordance with Regulations 6(7) and 11 of the PSR Regulations.

Under the PSR Regulations, the ICB was required to assess bids based on basic Selection Criteria, Five Key Criteria (as defined in Regulation 5 of the PSR), and any other elements relevant to contract award. The ICB applied the Crown Commercial Services Selection Questionnaire for the basic Selection Criteria.

This Intention to Award Notice is issued in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The Procurement relates to the Invitation to Tender for the provision of an Urgent Access Primary Care Service (Single Point of Access, Out of Hours, and Outbreak Management).

The procurement was split into two lots. Lot 2 is service provision for the county of Worcestershire, UK.

This notice is an intention to award a contract under the competitive process.

The contract will be for a period of 3 (three) years with the option to extend for a further 2 (two) year period, plus 1 (one) further year, subject to mutual agreement. (The total lifetime of the contract is therefore 6 (six) years.)

NHS Standard Contract Terms and Conditions will apply.

The anticipated contract commencement date is 08th July 2026.

The approximate lifetime value of the contract for Lot 2 (Worcestershire) including the available extension periods is £42,805,938.00.

Contracts for existing GP-Led Out of Hours services in the counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire are due to expire on 7th July 2026, therefore, the ICB has been seeking to procure a new Urgent Access Primary Care Service (to include an Out of Hours service, a contribution of clinical staff for the provision of primary care advice in the two existing Single Points of Access (SPoAs), and an Outbreak Management service) for the local resident patient population

.

The proposed Urgent Access Primary Care Service (SPoA, Out of Hours, and Outbreak Management) will contribute towards the following outcomes for the local resident patient population:

• Improved access for patients to urgent and emergency care advice, assessments and interventions
• Positive patient-reported experience, resulting from timely and informative care
• Improved patient-reported ease of navigation to the most appropriate service
• Effective urgent care responses that prevent unnecessary acute hospital admissions and maximise independent living, including end-of-life care at home
• Effective urgent care responses that contribute to the reduction of health inequalities that people are experiencing.

These services are classed as Health Care services under The Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 (PSR). The ICB has adopted a Competitive Process in accordance with Regulations 6(7) and 11 of the PSR Regulations. Under the PSR Regulations, the ICB was required to assess bids based on basic Selection Criteria, Five Key Criteria (as defined in Regulation 5 of the PSR), and any other elements relevant to contract award. The ICB applied the Crown Commercial Services Selection Questionnaire for the basic Selection Criteria.