NHS Ipswich and East Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS West Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group seek to jointly commission an Integrated Urgent Care Service across Suffolk (minus Waveney) and North East Essex. The scope of this tender includes NHS 111, Out of Hours and potentially Care Co-ordination services.

The 3 CCGs are all within the same Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) footprint.

The aim is for — 1) An NHS 111 service across the STP footprint that fulfils the national requirements including the need for a multi-disciplinary clinical hub and additionally integrates effectively with all other areas of urgent care locally such that the combined health and social care systems covered by the Commissioners move towards having a single point of access for urgent care.

2) A GP led Out of Hours service across the STP footprint that fulfils the national requirements and effectively integrates with local GP led care such that there is a seamless 24 hour a day, 7-day a week service that integrates effectively with the rest of the Commissioners' health and social care system.

As an early development in the contract but not delivered from the outset of the contract: In the Ipswich and East Suffolk CCG and West Suffolk CCG area only: a Care Co-ordination and Case Management Service that integrates effectively with Suffolk Community Healthcare services in the first instance with the potential to expand to other parts of the Suffolk health and social care system over time. This will incorporate professional and patient access to Community Health Services such that existing Community Health patients and referrers have access to the clinical expertise of the Integrated Urgent Care Service, and in return the Integrated Urgent Care Service would be able to call upon and coordinate care for appropriate planned and urgent community responses. Over the lifetime of the contract we would foresee the Provider(s) working closely with the system to develop further links to or consolidation of other contact points such as those provided by the local authority, in-hours primary mental health and acute sectors. We also foresee that the Integrated Urgent Care Service would use its position to innovate in the fields of telehealth, telemedicine and telecare.

Contract review provision: Specifically for North East Essex — Please note that the services and associated specification and prices, commissioned within this contract may be subject to review and change. Moving forward it is NEE's intention to undertake a review of its community Urgent Care services. This review includes the provision of A&E minors, minor injury units and the walk in centre to determine whether the current models are the most sustainable and clinically effective in supporting the North East Essex urgent care system. Therefore, the scope of the possible changes to be made to this contract shall relate to the outcomes of the urgent care service review including the potential introduction of a larger population to support the STP footprint. i.e. the contract and specification may be amended to also deliver community urgent care services, through a variation to the contract in accordance with Regulation 72 (1) (a) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

Additionally, the contract may also be amended in terms of the original services supplied, where, following assessment of the reasonable alignment of out of hospital urgent care services, it is identified that it is logical for additional services to be delivered in conjunction with this contract and by the lead provider, both in terms of actual service delivery and to avoid duplication of costs. These services may include but are not limited to other services and specialities formally delivered in an urgent care setting where it is foreseen that these services can be delivered more effectively as part of this contract. This may include the following (or elements of): ambulatory care, minor injury activity including diagnostics, minor illness activity. This may also include the delivery of the existing community gateway service and adult social care connect, again where it may be foreseen that these services could be more effectively delivered under the Contract. The review may also impact upon number of calls.