NHS SY ICB -Community Pharmacy COVID-19 Triage, Assessment & Prescribing Service

Location

South Yorkshire

Description

Since 2023, NHS England has instructed ICBs that covid antivirals should be available in a community setting, shifting the service from secondary care to a private provider. The current NICE recommended treatments were reviewed by SY Integrated Medicines Optimisation Committee (IMOC) and retained a RED traffic light status, meaning prescribing is recommended by services with specialist knowledge and experience.The ICB is committed to establishing prescribing services through community pharmacies and procurement of this service is an opportunity for contractors interested in delivering prescribing services to develop their workforce to gain specialist knowledge for the assessment and prescribing of COVID-19.

Total Quantity or Scope

The current NICE recommended treatments were reviewed by SY Integrated Medicines Optimisation Committee (IMOC) and retained a RED traffic light status, meaning prescribing is recommended by services with specialist knowledge and experience.The ICB is committed to establishing prescribing services through community pharmacies and procurement of this service is an opportunity for contractors interested in delivering prescribing services to develop their workforce to gain specialist knowledge for the assessment and prescribing of COVID-19.This notice is an intention to award a contract under the most suitable provider process.The approximate lifetime value of the service is £40,000.This is a new service.The service will run from 01/06/2026 to 31/05/2028

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 85149000 - Pharmacy services

Indicators

• Award on basis of price and quality.

Legal Justification

This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Procurement Act 2024 do not apply to this award. The standstill period begins on the day after the publication of this notice. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by 5th May 2026. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.The decision maker was: SY Integrated Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation Programme ManagerNo conflicts of interest were identified.A F01 PIN notice (2026/S 000-024193) was published on 17th March 2026 asking potential providers for the service to responde to 6 questions, relating to providing the service. This was treated as a market engagement exercise to identify any providers that SY ICB were not aware of.The 6 questions were:1. Mobilisation - Key Criteria 4 - improving access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choice.2. Service Delivery - Key Criteria 3 - integration, collaboration and service sustainability3. Organisational Details - Key Criteria 1 – Quality & Innovation4. Business Continuity - Key criteria 4 - improving access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choice5. Value - Key Criteria 2. Value6. Social Value - Key Criteria 5 Social ValueAll submissions were evaluated and moderated to provide a score for each provider's submission and the submission with the highest moderated score has been appointed as the preferred supplier. It is the intention to award the contract to this preferred supplier.

Other Information

The contract will be awarded to:Associated Chemists (Wicker) Ltd.61-67 Wicker,Sheffield,S3 8HT