Provision of Alternative Provider of Medical Services (APMS) Contracts under six Lots across Thurrock and Southend

This is a Contract Award Notice to communicate a contract award for the provision of Alternative Provider of Medical Services (APMS) Contracts under six Lots across Thurrock and Southend.

The Contracting Authority (hereinafter referred to as "the Authority") for this procurement is: NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) has awarded contracts for Lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 to Spirit Healthcare Ltd, to deliver Primary Medical Services across all six Lots, via Alternative Provider of Medical Services (APMS) contracts.

The services will continue to be provided at the existing sites and the Authority wish to ensure that there is no interruption to patients' continuity of care and access requirements. The Authority has undertaken a single one-stage procurement under the Light Touch Regime for all six contracts, with each acting as a separate and individual 'lot' and subsequent contract, to enable the mobilisation of the new provider from 1 April 2023 for Lots 1, 2 3, 4 and 6 and from 1st July 2023 for Lot 5.

• Lot 1 - Y00999 - Oddfellows Health Centre & St Clements Health Centre - commencing 1st April 2023 until 31st March 2038

• Lot 2 - F81110 - Tilbury Health Centre - commencing 1st April 2023 until 31st March 2038

• Lot 3 - Y02807 - Thurrock Health Centre - commencing 1st April 2023 until 31st March 2038

• Lot 4 - F81206 - Commonwealth Health Centre - commencing 1st April 2023 until 31st March 2038

• Lot 5 - Y00033 - Purfleet Care Centre - commencing 1st July 2023 until 30th June 2038

• Lot 6 - F81684 - North Shoebury Surgery - commencing 1st April 2023 until 31st March 2038

The Authority procured all six lots as APMS contracts due to the time limited nature of them and flexibilities that they permit in terms of bidding audience e.g. whole of the market and the ability to agree the reporting schedules enabling KPIs that support delivery of the Long-term Plan and facilitates and enables the development of "at scale" provision through the PCN model of delivery. In line with the strategic aims for Mid & South Essex ICB, the system is committed to deliver primary care on a standard contract term to allow for delivery at scale and innovation by offering longer term arrangements.

Each contract is awarded for a period of 15 years to give greater certainty to the provider to improve value for money, ability to recruit, willingness to invest time and resources.

The aggregate value of the contract across all 6 Lots including maximum Allowable Mobilisation Budget) as advertised in Find a Tender Service is £91,153,559 (£91,003,559 minus the maximum Allowable Mobilisation Budget).

The Authority is publishing this Contract Award Notice in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended by The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020) for spend above £663,540. The Services fall within Section 7 (Social and Other Specific Services) listed in Schedule 3 of the Regulations (the "Light Touch" Regime).

Additional information:

The Authority may wish to expand the Services during the lifetime of the contract ("Contract modification(s)"). To this end, after the award of contract, there is a possibility that the successful Bidder may be offered a variation(s) to the contract in accordance with Regulation 72 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020), in the following potential circumstances and or situations where necessary;

1. Appropriate alignment of the Service / Contract as a result of changes stipulated either nationally by NHSE&I or required locally by the Authority or it's partners in the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (MSE ICS), either to expand the service provision to include complementary Services, or to align the service to changes in need from the eligible service user population.

2. As a result of unanticipated changes in demand including drivers behind for the Service over the term, to support the successful Bidder to evolve the service slowly and sustainability to ensure successful implementation, and to ensure service safety and positive service user experience is maintained.

3. Where additional funding becomes available to the Authority for delivery of service requirements that are similar and or complementary to the Service already included in the Lot Specifications, at any given time, and do not modify the overall nature of the contract. Such expansion would be by the addition of services commissioned by the Authority or its partners across the MSE ICS, where the business case provides objective evidence that contract variation is the most appropriate course of action, taking account of one or more of the following considerations; service safety, financial and economic impact, innovation, patient and public acceptability, impact on health inequalities, strategic alignment with National/Regional/Local strategic priorities, ability to improve multiple pathways, positive contribution to improved supply / improving service responsiveness, patient experience and health economy impact.