In 2015 NHS Somerset CCG awarded a 3 year contract to all GP practices for 21 locally enhanced services. GP practices are able to provide all or some of these services. The contracts with GP practices are due to expire on 31.3.2018 and the commissioners intend to directly award contracts to existing GP providers across Somerset from 1.4.2018 to continue the delivery of these enhanced services for a period of 12 months to 31.3.2019. The national policy direction set out in the FYFV and the GP forward view has driven the decision to award the contract for a further year. Somerset CCG is currently developing a health and care strategy which is focused on putting national policy into practice. The strategy will be used to inform the delivery models of the future to ensure local services are financially stable, are of high quality and improve the health and wellbeing of the population. The annual contract value (split across 69 GP practices) within Somerset is 7 300 000 GBP /annum.

In 2015 NHS Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group awarded a 3 year contract to all GP practices for 21 locally enhanced services. GP practices are able to provide all or some of these services. The contracts with GP practices are due to expire on 31.3.2018 and the commissioners intend to directly award contracts to existing GP providers across Somerset from 1.4.2018 to continue the delivery of these enhanced services for a period of 12 months to 31.3.2019. 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,

— immediate care first responder,

— minor injuries,

— gynecology 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 national policy direction set out in the Five Year Forward View and the General Practice Forward View has driven the decision to award the contract for a further year. Somerset CCG is currently developing a health and care strategy which is focused on putting national policy into practice. The strategy will be used to inform the delivery models of the future to ensure local services are financially stable, are of high quality and improve the health and wellbeing of the population. The annual contract value which is split across 69 separate GP practices within the boundaries of Somerset is 7 300 000 GBP per annum. 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 31.3.2019. 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”.