Provision of General Medical Services at Tollgate Practice, Colchester

NHS Essex Integrated Care Board (the Authority) is undertaking a competitive procurement process under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 for the award of a General Medical Services (GMS) contract for Tollgate Practice, located in Stanway, Colchester. The procurement seeks to identify a suitably qualified and experienced provider to deliver safe, effective, sustainable and accessible primary medical services to the registered patient population of Tollgate Practice. The commercial schedule currently assumes an actual patient list of 10,206 and a weighted patient list of approximately 8,832, subject to future list size adjustments in line with national General Medical Services arrangements. The successful provider will be required to deliver the full range of services associated with a nationally prescribed GMS contract, including management of a registered patient list, provision of core primary medical services, clinical governance, workforce management, patient access requirements and integration with local health and care services. The procurement is being undertaken following caretaker arrangements that were implemented to maintain continuity of services whilst the practice recovered from historical quality and regulatory concerns. The contract is intended to secure the long-term provision of stable and resilient primary medical services beyond the caretaker period. The Authority is seeking expressions of interest from providers capable of delivering General Medical Services from Tollgate Practice in Colchester. The contract will be awarded using the Competitive Process under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The procurement has been selected because the Authority has determined that neither a direct award process nor the most suitable provider process is appropriate in the circumstances. The successful provider will be required to: • Deliver all mandatory General Medical Services in accordance with the NHS General Medical Services Contract Regulations. • Maintain and manage a registered patient list of approximately 10,206 patients. • Provide safe, effective and responsive primary medical services from the existing practice premises. • Demonstrate robust clinical governance, safeguarding and information governance arrangements. • Deliver resilient workforce and mobilisation arrangements. • Integrate effectively with local Primary Care Network, neighbourhood and wider health and care services. • Support the reduction of health inequalities and maintain patient access and continuity of care. Providers will be required to satisfy proportionate basic selection criteria relating to legal and regulatory compliance, economic and financial standing, technical and professional capability, workforce capacity and service mobilisation. The Authority wishes to draw attention to the fact that delivery of this service is intrinsically linked to a fixed practice location, a registered patient population and the maintenance of continuous primary medical services from day one of contract commencement. Providers should carefully consider their ability to mobilise and sustain an onsite workforce, provide consistent clinical and operational leadership, establish effective working relationships with local partners and operate safely within existing referral pathways and neighbourhood arrangements. The Authority expects bidders to demonstrate a realistic, deliverable mobilisation approach that reflects these requirements. The Authority intends to assess providers against the 5 key criteria that reflect the requirements of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The weighted tender questions and evaluation criteria will be aligned to each of the five key criteria. The Estimated Total Value of the contract is £21,896,491.60. For the purpose of calculating the estimated total value for this notice, a notional 20-year term has been applied to reflect the perpetual nature of a GMS contract. This estimate is based on an annual Global Sum of £1,094,825 (exclusive of VAT), representing the estimated annual baseline General Medical Services contract value. The calculation is based on current commercial assumptions of £123.96 per weighted patient and a Contractor Weighted Population of approximately 8,832. Future list size changes will be adjusted in line with the contract rate and applicable national General Medical Services arrangements. The baseline value excludes enhanced services, Primary Care Network income and premises reimbursement costs. Premises rent, business rates and water rates are reimbursable and payable separately in accordance with applicable primary medical services arrangements. Enhanced services will be provided as indicative values only and are subject to separate service requirements and annual arrangements. The anticipated service commencement date is 1 April 2027, subject to completion of the