An integrated care board has been told to re-run the procurement process for a £10m primary care services contract after making a string of errors.
The Independent Patient Choice and Procurement Panel has ruled that Sussex Integrated Care Board kept insufficient records of its decisions during the procurement process, did not provide adequate information to bidders, and mistakenly claimed a losing bidder did not provide required information.
The IPCPP was set up in 2024 to adjudicate disputes about commissioning under the Provider Selection Regime, which governs how contracts for NHS-funded healthcare services are awarded.
This dispute concerned Sussex ICB’s decision to award One Medicare an alternative provider medical services contract for the Whitehawk area of East Brighton. The incumbent provider was Wellsbourne, a GP surgery run by a community interest company.
The contract was for a seven-year term, starting on 1 April 2025, with the option of a two-year extension. The total value of the contract - including the extension - was £10.4m.
On 14 March 2025, Sussex ICB published a notice announcing One Medicare as the successful bidder. Wellsbourne’s proposal was ranked third out of four compliant bids. Wellsbourne subsequently complained to the IPCPP, raising concerns about the provider selection process and the way the ICB handled its request for information about the process.
Date: 28 July