The GP Practice contracts for the 20 Local Enhanced Services expire on 31 March 2021. GP practices are able to provide all or some of these services. The Commissioners intend to directly award the contracts to existing GP Providers across Somerset from 1st April 2021 to continue the delivery of these Enhanced Services for a period of 36 months to 31st March 2024.
In support of the CCG's Recovery Plan, a Health and Care Strategy entitled 'Fit For My Future', has been developed and subject to public consultation will determine the services required in the future. The Strategy will also impact on the contracting model, with the development of a new model of organised primary care. This reflects the national direction of travel with the recent publication of the GP Primary Medical Services Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service; general practices will work more collaboratively, both with each other and other organisations to create a locality based health and social care response to population health need, releasing opportunities to revise contracting arrangements.
The CCG undertook a review of all GP enhanced services in 2019 and concluded there is benefit in continuing to commission 20 services from April 2019, which all offer value for money. Although this formal exercise has not been repeated, services still represent value for money.
The indicative annual contract value which is split across 65 separate GP practices within the boundaries of Somerset has a budget of circa £4m per annum.
The GP Practice contracts for the 20 Local Enhanced Services expire on 31 March 2021 and the commissioner intend to directly award the contracts to existing GP providers across Somerset from 1st April 2021 to continue the delivery of these enhanced services for a period of 36 months to 31st March 2024. GP practices are able to provide all or some of these services. The services are:
• Anti-Coagulation Initiation, Stabilisation and Monitoring
• Community Leg Ulcer Service
• Complex Care
• Compression Bandaging
• Dermatology
• Diabetes Insulin Initiation
• Discharge Liaison Service
• Fitting of Ambulatory ECG Tape
• Enhanced Drug Monitoring
• Fracture Clinic
• Frome Unscheduled Care Service
• Homeless Clinic
• Minor Injuries
• Gynaecology Interface Service
• Advanced Learning Disabilities Service
• Drug Misuse and Mental Health Service
• Primary Care Improvement Scheme
• Vasectomy
• Young Person Clinic
• Frome Unscheduled Care Service
The decision to award the three year contract supports alignment with the developing Fit For My Future strategy and public consultation, which will determine the services required in the future and the new contracting model supporting organised primary care. The CCG has already undertaken a review of all the enhanced services, and would not want to destabilise delivery of the services through undertaking procurement.
The indicative annual contract value which is split across 65 separate GP practices within the boundaries of Somerset has a budget of circa £4m per annum.
If you would like to understand the split of this budget by GP practice please follow the link on the contracts finder advert.
All General Practices provide a good quality service that meets the needs and expectation of the commissioner and patients. The commissioner has no concerns regarding the proposed provider's ability to deliver the service through to 31st March 2021. As a result of all of the material factors noted above, the negotiated procedure without prior publication has been followed and justified under regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) 'competition is absent for technical reasons'.