Where Care Excellence Meets Business Success. Transform your operations today - 0333 577 0877
We are here to help 24/7.

Coming up· published 14 May 2025

Dorset Integrated Urgent Care Service (DIUCS)

NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board · Dorset, South West

NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is planning Dorset Integrated Urgent Care Service (DIUCS). It is a contract for other health and social care in Dorset.

Get help with this bidView the official noticeOCDS data

Source: Find a Tender, published 14 May 2025. Details are refreshed every 30 minutes.

Key dates

  1. 2025

    Pipeline notice published

    UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice · 14:38

    View notice

  2. 2025

    Pipeline notice updated

    UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice · 13:35

    View notice

  3. 2025

    Tender notice expected

    Date given in the buyer's earlier notice

  4. 2026

    Contract starts

  5. Next

    2029

    Contract ends

    3 years after it starts

01

About this tender

In brief

NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is planning Dorset Integrated Urgent Care Service (DIUCS). It is a contract for other health and social care in Dorset. The buyer has published an early notice. It gives providers time to prepare before the tender opens. The contract runs from 31 March 2026 to 31 March 2029. It lasts 3 years.

Find a Tender published it on 14 May 2025. The notice number is 021322-2025. The OCDS ID is ocds-h6vhtk-050c84.

Summary of the contracting process

NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is currently in the planning stage for the procurement of the Dorset Integrated Urgent Care Service (DIUCS). This procurement process focuses on delivering integrated health services across Dorset, UK, including 111 Call Handling and Clinical Care Coordination. This project is scheduled to commence on 1st April 2026, following a contract period set to end on 31st March 2029.

Preliminary Market Engagement is underway, with a scheduled event on 30th May 2025 from 14:00 to 15:30, for which interested suppliers are encouraged to express interest by 28th May 2025. This initiative, classified under the health services industry category, aims to enhance digital integration and service interoperability, aligning with NHS Commissioning Standards.

The notice in full

NHS England mandated that every ICB have an Integrated Urgent Care Service and issued the 'Integrated Urgent Care Service Specification' in August in 2017. An updated service specification is due to be released in 2025. The market has seen significant change over the past decade driven by COVID-19, digital advances and greater patient choice.

The NHS Long Term Plan outlined NHS 111 maintaining its place as the 'first line of defence' for the Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) system. The core vision for the revised service is to build on the success of Dorset Integrated Urgent Care Service (DIUCS) in simplifying access for patients, meeting their needs and increasing the confidence that the public have in the service.

Taking into consideration changes Nationally, including the introduction of guidance to develop a Care Coordination Hub, which could be the foundations of a revised specification due for release by NHS England. DIUCS provides a service to all 810,000 people registered with a Dorset GP Practice. The current service receives on average 30,738 calls a month and provides both call handler capability and a Clinical Assessment Service.

Our longer-term aim for this service is to align to Integrated Neighbourhoods Teams and strengthening the urgent care offer to reduce unplanned attendance to our Acute front doors. The focus of our service specification is outcome based with key concentration on:

  • Equity of access
  • Interoperability across our Urgent Care pathway
  • Digital opportunities for consult and complete models NHS Commissioning Standards, local emergency and urgent care strategies will continue to evolve over the life of the contract to improve efficiency and integration across the Service User journey pathway.

Given this continual change it is anticipated that there will be service changes to ensure that the service remains compliant with NHS Commissioning Standards and local emergency and urgent care strategies. The commencement of new contract must be aligned to 1st April 2026.

Lots: no lot details came through with this notice. The official notice and the tender pack have the full breakdown.

02

Key facts

Every field the notice carries. Anything it leaves blank is listed under its table.

Contract

Service
Other health and social care
Procurement type
Standard
Category
Services
Contract period
31 Mar 2026 to 31 Mar 2029 (3 years)

Procedure

Notice type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Current stage
Planning
Stages so far
Planning
Published on
Find a Tender Service

Not stated in the notice: procurement method, awardee scale.

Values

Not stated in the notice: tender value, lots value, awards value, contracts value.

Status

Tender
Planning
Lots
Planning

Not stated in the notice: awards, contracts.

References

Find a Tender notice
021322-2025
Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-050c84
CPV code
85100000 - Health services
CPV division
85 - Health and social work services
03

Location

NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is based in Dorset. The area the service covers can be wider, so check the notice and the lots.
Local authority
Dorset
Town
Dorchester
Postcode
DT1 1XJ
Electoral ward
Dorchester West
Constituency
West Dorset
Delivery area
North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England)
Region
South West
Sub-region
Dorset
Area
North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset
Country
England
04

Buyer

Contracting authority

Organisation
NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board
Category
Services
Address
Dorchester, DT1 1XJ · South West · England

Not stated in the notice: contact, phone.

05

Documents and links

Official sources for this notice. The tender pack itself sits on the buyer's portal.
06

Questions about Dorset Integrated Urgent Care Service (DIUCS)

When will the Dorset Integrated Urgent Care Service (DIUCS) tender open?

NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board has not yet given a date for the tender notice. An early notice is the time to answer any market engagement questions and gather the evidence a bid will need.

How long is the Dorset Integrated Urgent Care Service (DIUCS) contract?

The contract runs from 31 March 2026 to 31 March 2029 (3 years).

Who is the buyer for Dorset Integrated Urgent Care Service (DIUCS)?

NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board, based in Dorset, South West.

How do I bid for Dorset Integrated Urgent Care Service (DIUCS)?

Register on the buyer's portal named in the notice, download the tender pack and check every condition of participation before you start writing. Care Sync Experts writes and reviews care tender bids from £1,500 + VAT.

Want help winning this tender?

We write and review care tender bids: quality answers, case studies and social value, checked against how the buyer scores before you submit.

What to do next

  1. Read the early notice in full.
  2. Answer any market engagement questions.
  3. Gather your evidence and case studies now.
  4. Check your policies are up to date.
  5. Watch for the tender notice.
Talk to us about this tenderHow our tender writing works

Bidding for contracts like this

Other tenders in Dorset

Browse by sector

Get help with your bid