As part of efforts to increase capacity across NHS services, a new national £10bn contract notice has opened for tender by potential suppliers.
Published by NHS Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support Unit (NHS Arden & GEM CSU), in agreement with NHS England, the open opportunity contract is inviting bids to increase capacity across inpatient, day case, diagnostic and clinical services.
In keeping with the health service’s rapid acceleration in making key services available to NHS regional bodies, commissioning groups and trusts as they tackle rising Covid-19 cases, the opportunity to tender to the contract will be open for just two weeks – until October 26, 2020.
The four-year framework, which does not feature an option to extend or renew, is set to launch on November 20, 2020.
It has been marked as suitable for SME organisations.
The three aspects identified in the contract, which will make up the clinical services covered on the framework once live, are:
- NHS inpatient & day case services (including full supporting pathology and imaging) and urgent elective care and cancer treatment in line with nationally set criteria
- NHS diagnostic services
- Clinical facilities and related services
Split into two lots, the contract covers both the provision of clinical services directly, as well as the clinical facilities necessary for those NHS organisations contracting from the framework to carry out:
- Lot 1 invites bids to undertake clinical services at national and local prices.
- Lot 2, meanwhile, invites bids to provide clinical facilities and related services for the contracting authorities to undertake clinical activity.
