A private supplier has forced an integrated care board to row back on its decision to award a £25m contract to an NHS trust, in the first case of its kind, reports HSJ.
North East and North Cumbria ICB announced its intention to award the contract for integrated podiatry services to South Tyneside and Sunderland Foundation Trust late last year.
The ICB made the decision despite complaints about the procurement process from rival bidder Thrive Health Hubs, a local private healthcare provider.
Thrive then complained to the Independent Patient Choice and Procurement Panel (IPCPP), which regulates awards made under the Provider Selection Regime.
However, before the IPCPP had finished its review of the case, NENC announced it was going to rerun the procurement process. This resulted in the panel issuing its first-ever “case closure notice”.
On 8 August 2025, NENC published a notice setting out its intention to follow the PSR’s most suitable provider process to award a contract for the service.
Date: 23 February