Award of Q4 Inpatient and Outpatient Healthcare Services and Hospital Capacity in Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic in England

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NHS England awarded a contract to The Health Management Trust for the provision of inpatient and outpatient healthcare services and hospital capacity as part of the response to the Covid-19 Pandemic in England.

The contract, valued at £307,100,000, was a short-term award for 3 months, made pursuant to ministerial direction from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care dated 8 January 2022, to enable NHS commissioners across England to make arrangements for additional capacity in response to the Omicron variant.

The award was made without prior publication of a call for competition in the Official Journal of the European Union due to extreme urgency brought about by unforeseeable events.

The urgent need for these contracts became apparent during December 2021 due to the rapid rise in infection rates and hospitalisations from the Omicron variant, the likelihood of a surge in hospitalisations following a Christmas and New Year period with no limitations on social distancing, and the length of time it would take CCGs and Trusts to put in place contracts following competitive procurement processes.