Epsomedical Limited to Ashford & St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for the Provision of Elective Surgical Procedures

Location

Chertsey

Description

Provision of elective outpatient, diagnostic and day case surgical procedures for ASPH patients, including ENT first outpatient appointments and Gastroenterology full pathway activity. The pathway includes patient identification and referral, pre assessment, procedure, recovery, discharge, clinical documentation return, and activity reporting to support RTT and commissioner requirements.

Total Quantity or Scope

Provision of elective diagnostic, outpatient and day case surgical activity delivered by Epsomedical Limited on behalf of Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Services support elective recovery and RTT backlog reduction and are delivered under NHS Standard Contract governance, with ASPH retaining overall pathway accountability.

Award Detail

Renewal Options

6 months from commencement, with an option to extend by up to 6 months.

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 85110000 - Hospital and related services

Indicators

• Options are available.
• Award on basis of price.

Legal Justification

This procurement falls outside the scope of application of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and has been conducted in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 ("PSR 2023"). Regulation 3 of the PSR expressly disapplies the PCR 2015 for relevant healthcare services procurements. Accordingly, there was no requirement to publish a prior call for competition under the Official Journal of the European Union or the Find a Tender Service. The contract was awarded using the Urgent Award Process permitted under Regulation 14(2) of the PSR. Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust required immediate access to additional elective capacity in order to support statutory RTT performance, mitigate elective backlog pressures and deliver system‑wide elective recovery objectives agreed with Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board. Time‑limited non‑recurrent elective recovery funding was allocated, necessitating rapid mobilisation of capacity which could not accommodate the timescales associated with a competitive process or other PSR routes. The Trust undertook engagement with viable independent sector providers across the local and regional market to support elective recovery delivery, including Circle Health Group, Nuffield Health and Epsomedical Limited. Activity was allocated proportionately based on provider capability, capacity, pathway suitability and readiness to mobilise within the required timeframe. Epsomedical Limited demonstrated the ability to deliver the required elective pathways safely and at pace, with appropriate governance and regulatory arrangements in place. The award is time‑limited, activity‑capped and proportionate to the urgency and scope of the requirement. The use of the Urgent Award Process was necessary to protect patient access to timely care and to maintain compliance with the Trust's obligations under the NHS Standard Contract and elective access standards. The award of the contract without prior publication of a call for competition is therefore lawful and compliant with the Provider Selection Regime Regulations 2023.

Other Information

This contract has been awarded under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply. The award was made via the Urgent Award Route in accordance with Regulation 14(2) of the PSR due to the immediate requirement for additional elective capacity to support RTT compliance and elective recovery delivery. Owing to the urgent mobilisation of services and the time required to agree and finalise the detailed contract particulars, the publication of this award notice was completed following contract conclusion and service commencement. Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has implemented a multi‑provider elective recovery approach, engaging and awarding contracts to Epsomedical Limited, Circle Health Group and Nuffield Health, with activity allocated proportionately based on provider capability, capacity and pathway suitability. This award forms part of that system‑wide response.