NHS England ICF Framework — NHS Increasing Capacity Framework Reference number:41574

Tender description

The National Health Service Commissioning Board (which uses the operational name ‘NHS England’) has established a framework for clinical services titled Increasing Capacity Framework (ICF) under the light touch regime, and has entered into a framework agreement with each provider appointed to the ICF. NHS England intends to enter into a variation of each framework agreement to introduce a quarterly process through which each provider may request changes to the services that they offer to customers under its framework agreement and the sites at which services may be provided under that framework agreement. Lot 1: The National Health Service Commissioning Board (which uses the operational name ‘NHS England’) has established a framework for clinical services titled Increasing Capacity Framework Agreement (ICF) under the light touch regime. NHS England has previously issued contract notice 2020/S 202 492264 advertising the procurement of the framework and issued contract award notices 2021/S 028 070725 and 2021/S 074 190543 including providers that have been appointed to the framework. This VEAT notice is being issued to advertise NHSE’s introduction of a more detailed change control process through which providers may request changes to the services (procedures) that they offer to customers under the framework and the sites at which services may be provided under the framework. When the framework was procured, providers were provided with a long list of services and asked to indicate which services they would be able to provide from go-live date. They were also asked to state at which sites services could be provided. The proposed variation sets out the process through which providers are permitted to request, on a quarterly basis: (i) that they be permitted to offer additional services to customers via the framework; and/or (ii) that they be permitted to offer to provide services at additional sites. The process includes the timetable for submission by providers, templates and method for submission of requests and, where accepted, publication of changes. NHS England will apply the evaluation process set out in initial procurement documents to any request submitted via the new change control mechanism. The provider must continue to meet the minimum requirements included in the initial procurement documents in respect of any change submitted for approval via the new process.