Provision of Community Anti-coagulation Services to NHS Medway and Swale

About

NHS Shared Business Services awarded a contract to Medway Community Healthcare for the provision of community anti-coagulation services.

The direct award covers an interim period of 21 months, with an option to extend for a further 12 months, to enable the CCG to facilitate the development of an Integrated Care Partnership in the Medway and Swale area and the formation and development of Primary Care Networks.

The contract, valued at £1,618,000, supports the CCG in meeting the ambitions of the NHS Long Term Plan.

Following this interim period, in 2022, the CCG intends to commence procurement of a new Community Services contract and transfer this service to the future provider.

The CCG assessed the most appropriate route to awarding this contract, considering the necessity to secure continuity of this essential patient service, and concluded that the incumbent provider will assure the safest solution and is considered the only technically capable provider at this time.

***Insight: This direct award to the incumbent provider highlights the challenges of maintaining essential patient services during organizational restructuring, where continuity and technical capability often outweigh competitive procurement."