Complex and Non-Complex Podiatry Services

INTENTION TO AWARD

North of England Commissioning Support (NECS) is a commissioning support service working for and on behalf of NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (the Relevant Authority), who have undertaken a competition process to commission Complex and Non-Complex Podiatry Services to be delivered to eligible patients across Sunderland and South Tyneside.

This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) Contract Notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award.

The contract term is for an initial period of 3 years commencing on 01 April 2025, with an option to extend for a further 2 years at the discretion of the Relevant Authority and subject to satisfactory contractual and financial performance.

The closing date for submission of competition responses was by 12 noon on 26 September 2024.

Additional information

The "Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006" as amended by the "Collective Redundancies and Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) (Amendment) Regulation 2014" (TUPE) may apply to this contract.

Providers were advised to obtain their own legal advice and carry out due diligence including the New Fair Deal non-statutory policy setting out how pensions issues are to be dealt with when staff are compulsorily transferred from the public sector to independent providers delivering public services.

Previous publications concerning this procedure publication references:

2021/S 000-019635

2022/S 000-032709

2024/S 000-006480

NECS utilised an electronic tendering tool to manage this competition and communicate with potential providers. Accordingly, no hard copy documents were issued to potential providers and all communications with NECS, including response submissions, were conducted via the Atamis portal at: https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome.

Competition documentation was available on the e-tendering site from 27 August 2024.