Provision of Hybrid Mail Services

This Notice covers the requirement for NHS South, Central & West CSU (“SCW”) to continue to have access to a third-party hybrid mailing service, a cornerstone of its Immunisation Management Service (“IMS”), to enable a national contact service for inviting the population for vaccination services. This will be in support of NHSE’s forthcoming 22/23 flu/COVID-19 booster vaccination programme. <br/><br/>SCW is therefore modifying, via Regulation 72(b)(i&ii) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, a contract with the incumbent hybrid mail service provider (Synertec Ltd) to cover additional works and services required for the period 1st September 2022 - 31st March 2023 by a maximum additional forecast spend of £12,500,000. Simultaneously, and to ensure continued legal compliance, SCW will shortly be commencing a longer-term competitive procurement for hybrid mail services to take effect from 1st April 2023 onward. For the avoidance of doubt, SCW’s current contract with our hybrid mail provider contains appropriate extension clauses for the period 1st September 2022 – 31st March 2023 – SCW is only seeking to modify the overall maximum contract value.<br/><br/>If SCW does not urgently put this additional third-party capacity in place our ability to deliver NHSE’s requirements will be severely compromised, to the point where the 22/23 flu/COVID-19 vaccination programme could be compromised. The modification to the contract will; 1) Ensure service continuity and stability in the run up to, and during the COVID Autumn booster campaign; 2) Leverage last year’s competitive procurement and value for money assessment, focussing resource on service delivery, and; 3) Provide a window of opportunity for NHSE to develop further their medium-term strategy which will inform the planned procurement. <br/><br/>The proposed contract modification, combined with the planned re-procurement for the period 1st April 2023 onward, will enable SCW to deliver on NHSE requirements.