NHS Herefordshire CCG has sought to procure consultancy services from an organisation that could provide an innovative approach and capability to deliver Outcome Based Contracts for a range of Urgent Care services, including GP Out of Hours Care, Primary Care Walk-in Centre, A&E, Ambulance Services, Access to GP in-hours services (with NHS England Area Team), Clinical Decisions Unit (CDU), Health and Social Care Hub, Minor Injury Units and NHS 111 Services, for the patients and public of Herefordshire CCG.

This work is at the leading edge of implementing an innovative approach to health care commissioning to a wide range of service areas. The CCG has sought support to allow future procurement of Urgent Care services for Herefordshire with a contract that concentrates upon outcomes, better reflects public and service user values, properly engages clinicians in service design, and better drives value by focussing incentives on desired outcomes within and across providers.

The CCG sees 3 phases of outputs:

— Phase 1: The output required is the identification of programme governance, agreement of scope, stakeholder engagement, draft outcomes for each service (or segment of service) and recommendations for routes for contracting these objectives.

— Phase 2: The output required is a fully tested package that can be taken into a formal contractual process, and business case supporting the case for change (or otherwise).

— Phase 3: Based on the recommendations agreed from Phase 2 the CCG would require support moving into revised contractual arrangements for 2014-15.