GMS Contract for Forest Health Care (to take on Westbury Surgery)

Concepts

• health and social work
• forest health care contract
• forest health care
• gloucester
• westbury surgery contract
• westbury surgery
• gms contract
• provision of primary care services
• partners of forest health care
• forest health care surgery

Location

Cinderford, Gloucestershire

Description

NHS Gloucestershire ICB ("the ICB") held a General Medical Services (GMS) contract ("the Westbury Surgery Contract") with G Doc Ltd (patient list size circa 3,100) for the provision of primary care services from Westbury Surgery, Westbury. The ICB also holds another GMS contract ("the Forest Health Care Contract") with the Partners of Forest Health Care (patient list size circa 8,370) for the provision of primary care services from Forest Health Care Surgery, Cinderford. The Westbury Contract had become unviable as a standalone contract. The ICB therefore decided to terminate the Westbury Contract and incorporate the Westbury patient list into the Forest Health Care Contract by way of variation to the Forest Health Care Contract. The Westbury Surgery is now a branch surgery of the Forest Health Care Surgery. The Forest Health Care Contract is subject to the provisions of Chapter 3, Section 7 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ("the PCR"). The ICB has relied on PCR 72(1)(b) to effect a permitted variation to the Forest Health Care Contract to incorporate the Westbury Surgery as a branch surgery. The variation took effect on 1 August 2023.

Total Quantity or Scope

This section provides detail of the services covered by the Forest Health Care Contract and the variation of the Forest Health Care Contract. The Forest Heath Care Contract is held between the ICB and the Partners of Forest Health Care, Cinderford and covers the provision of primary care services to the patients registered with Forest Health Care. It is a GMS Contract that is subject to the requirements of the National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations 2015 (as amended). The Forest Health Care Contract has an indefinite term. A separate GMS contract for the provision of primary care services from the Westbury Surgery in Westbury recently became unviable as a standalone contract on the basis of, among other things, GP resourcing issues and costs. G Doc Ltd therefore gave notice to terminate the Westbury Contract and the ICB has transferred the Westbury patient list to the Forest Health Care by way of variation to the Forest Health Care Contract. The effect of the variation is to increase the number of patients managed under the Forest Health Care Contract from some 8,370 patients to some 11,400 patients. Funding paid by the ICB under the Forest Health Care Contract will therefore increase on an annual basis from £895,236 to £1,256,250. The value of the procurement listed in section II.1.7 is the value of the modification over four years.

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 85000000 - Health and social work services

Legal Justification

The ICB has relied on Regulations 72(1)(b) of the PCR to effect a permitted variation to the Forest Health Care Contract to incorporate the Westbury Surgery as a branch surgery. The contract is for Light Regime services under the PCR. The ICB considers that the variation to the Forest Health Care Contract is permitted pursuant to Regulation 72(1)(b) of the PCR on the basis that it has become necessary for the Forest Health Care partners to deliver primary care services to the patients of the Westbury Surgery under the Forest Health Care Contract because a change of contractor would cause significant inconvenience for the ICB and a risk to continuity of care for patients. This is on the basis that the Westbury Contract proved unsustainable in part due to the small size of the patient list. Combining with another practice will assist with long term sustainability and improve the ICB's ability to attract and retain staff.

Other Information

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