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AwardHealth servicesCPV: 85100000

Specialist Medicines Service

Ipswich
Published 12 Jan, 2026
Contract Value
Not specified
View Official Notice

Overview

Summary, notice description and lot information

Summary of the contracting process

The Specialist Medicines Service contract, awarded by the NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board, focuses on supporting the supply of essential medication for Palliative and End of Life Care and the treatment of Clostridioides difficile within the health services category. This contract is significant for the regions of Suffolk and North East Essex, operating from 1st November 2025 to 31st March 2026. It has been awarded under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, using the direct award process outlined in these regulations.

This procurement, classified as a 'services' category under CPV 85100000, involves key operational dates including a contract award date of 4th November 2025. It includes the commitment to maintaining stocks of specified medications by pharmacies and ensuring accessibility during all normal operating hours, alongside offering guidance to users and professionals. This tender provides substantial opportunities for SMEs in the pharmaceutical sector.

The awarded lot involves multiple community pharmacies such as West Bergholt Pharmacy, Marks Tey Pharmacy, and others, creating collaborative opportunities for those capable of managing essential drug supplies and logistics. Businesses alongside this chain can leverage the contract’s requirements to offer complementary services enhancing integration, collaboration, and sustainability in healthcare delivery. Companies specializing in logistics, stock management, and healthcare innovations could find additional openings by proposing improvements and managing extended services.

Moreover, aligning with the NHS objectives to deliver safe, effective, and timely medication can position businesses well for potential future expansions of services under this procurement agreement.

Notice Description

The service aims to support the responsive and effective supply of essential medication for Palliative and End of Life Care (PEoLC) and the treatment of Clostridioides difficile (also known as Clostridium difficile, C. difficile or C. diff). This is a type of bacteria that can cause diarrhoea. The demand for palliative care treatments and the relevant antibiotics, vancomycin or fidaxomicin, may be urgent and/or unpredictable.

The service will operate during all normal opening hours for the community pharmacy and/or any locally commissioned extended hours e.g., Public/Bank holiday rota. The pharmacy contractor(s) (provider) will stock minimum stock levels of a locally agreed list of drugs and will make a commitment to ensure those users of this service have prompt access to these medicines. The pharmacy will provide information and advice to the user, carer and clinician as required.

Pharmacy teams should refer to the joint Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS)/Marie Curie UK Quality Improvement (Daffodil) Standards for support in continual improvement of their palliative and end of life care arrangements. They may also refer to the specialist palliative care advice lines at the local hospices within SNEE. The pharmacy will maintain stocks of the specified list of medicines required to deliver this service and will dispense these in response to NHS prescriptions presented.

The stock levels may be requested where there have been reports of failure to hold minimum stocks. The pharmacy will be expected to hold the minimum stock level unless there is evidence of drugs being dispensed and awaiting stock replenishment. The pharmacy will be expected to report stock levels on a quarterly basis and will receive remuneration for each report submitted.

Providers should seek to maintain adequate stocks of medication in line with local demand and in anticipation of reduced wholesaler deliveries, e.g., weekends, bank holiday periods.

Lot Information3 Lots
1Provision for North East Essex Alliance
Cancelled

The aim of this service is to ensure the availability of medication used for palliative and end of life care and the treatment of c.difficile across Suffolk and North East Essex, the demand for which may be urgent and/or unpredictable. The service is designed to improve access to these medicines for patients, carers and healthcare professionals when they are required, in order to ensure that there is no delay to treatment whilst also providing choice. This service aims to ensure the provision of medication for Palliative and End of Life Care (PEoLC) and the treatment of c.difficile at all times whilst the pharmacy is open, from selected commissioned pharmacies within Suffolk and North East Essex. The service will operate during all normal opening hours for the community pharmacy and/or any locally commissioned extended hours e.g., Public/Bank holiday rota. The pharmacy contractor (provider) will stock minimum stock levels of a locally agreed list of drugs and will make a commitment to ensure those users of this service have prompt access to these medicines. SNEE Integrated Care Board (ICB) may review the medication list and amend in accordance with advice and guidance which the provider must order, if not stocked, with immediate effect. Providers will be formally notified in writing by the ICB. If items are to be removed from the list, the ICB will continue to honour the date expiry compensation for that product whilst the contract is in place. The ICB will not be liable to provide funding for expired stock if ordered above the agreed minimum quantities. NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board are awarding the contract named within this notice under the Direct Award C process which is outlined within the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The provider named in this notice is an existing provider and has been reviewed through a Key Criteria assessment to ensure the awarding body is satisfied with current performance and reasonably expects the provider to be able to satisfy the contract which is the subject of this notice. The contract which is the subject of this notice has not changed considerably when compared with the existing / previous contract delivered by the named provider. The ICB may wish to introduce additional services during the lifetime of the contract ("Contract modifications"). Such contract modifications will be contemplated where additional requirements are similar and or complementary to the services already included in the Specification, at any given time. Such expansion would be by the addition of services commissioned by the Authority as named in the Contract Notice. To this end, after the award of contract, there is a possibility that the contract may be varied as allowable in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.

2Provision for Ipswich and East Suffolk Alliance area
Cancelled

The aim of this service is to ensure the availability of medication used for palliative and end of life care and the treatment of c.difficile across Suffolk and North East Essex, the demand for which may be urgent and/or unpredictable. The service is designed to improve access to these medicines for patients, carers and healthcare professionals when they are required, in order to ensure that there is no delay to treatment whilst also providing choice. This service aims to ensure the provision of medication for Palliative and End of Life Care (PEoLC) and the treatment of c.difficile at all times whilst the pharmacy is open, from selected commissioned pharmacies within Suffolk and North East Essex. The service will operate during all normal opening hours for the community pharmacy and/or any locally commissioned extended hours e.g., Public/Bank holiday rota. The pharmacy contractor (provider) will stock minimum stock levels of a locally agreed list of drugs and will make a commitment to ensure those users of this service have prompt access to these medicines. SNEE Integrated Care Board (ICB) may review the medication list and amend in accordance with advice and guidance which the provider must order, if not stocked, with immediate effect. Providers will be formally notified in writing by the ICB. If items are to be removed from the list, the ICB will continue to honour the date expiry compensation for that product whilst the contract is in place. The ICB will not be liable to provide funding for expired stock if ordered above the agreed minimum quantities. NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board are awarding the contract named within this notice under the Direct Award C process which is outlined within the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The provider named in this notice is an existing provider and has been reviewed through a Key Criteria assessment to ensure the awarding body is satisfied with current performance and reasonably expects the provider to be able to satisfy the contract which is the subject of this notice. The contract which is the subject of this notice has not changed considerably when compared with the existing / previous contract delivered by the named provider. The ICB may wish to introduce additional services during the lifetime of the contract ("Contract modifications"). Such contract modifications will be contemplated where additional requirements are similar and or complementary to the services already included in the Specification, at any given time. Such expansion would be by the addition of services commissioned by the Authority as named in the Contract Notice. To this end, after the award of contract, there is a possibility that the contract may be varied as allowable in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.

3Provision for West Suffolk Alliance area
Cancelled

The aim of this service is to ensure the availability of medication used for palliative and end of life care and the treatment of c.difficile across Suffolk and North East Essex, the demand for which may be urgent and/or unpredictable. The service is designed to improve access to these medicines for patients, carers and healthcare professionals when they are required, in order to ensure that there is no delay to treatment whilst also providing choice. This service aims to ensure the provision of medication for Palliative and End of Life Care (PEoLC) and the treatment of c.difficile at all times whilst the pharmacy is open, from selected commissioned pharmacies within Suffolk and North East Essex. The service will operate during all normal opening hours for the community pharmacy and/or any locally commissioned extended hours e.g., Public/Bank holiday rota. The pharmacy contractor (provider) will stock minimum stock levels of a locally agreed list of drugs and will make a commitment to ensure those users of this service have prompt access to these medicines. SNEE Integrated Care Board (ICB) may review the medication list and amend in accordance with advice and guidance which the provider must order, if not stocked, with immediate effect. Providers will be formally notified in writing by the ICB. If items are to be removed from the list, the ICB will continue to honour the date expiry compensation for that product whilst the contract is in place. The ICB will not be liable to provide funding for expired stock if ordered above the agreed minimum quantities. NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board are awarding the contract named within this notice under the Direct Award C process which is outlined within the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The provider named in this notice is an existing provider and has been reviewed through a Key Criteria assessment to ensure the awarding body is satisfied with current performance and reasonably expects the provider to be able to satisfy the contract which is the subject of this notice. The contract which is the subject of this notice has not changed considerably when compared with the existing / previous contract delivered by the named provider. The ICB may wish to introduce additional services during the lifetime of the contract ("Contract modifications"). Such contract modifications will be contemplated where additional requirements are similar and or complementary to the services already included in the Specification, at any given time. Such expansion would be by the addition of services commissioned by the Authority as named in the Contract Notice. To this end, after the award of contract, there is a possibility that the contract may be varied as allowable in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.

Procurement Classification

Notice type, method, and CPV codes

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05da15
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Notice Type
Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Limited
Awardee Scale
Large, SME
Current Stage
Award

Contract Values

Financial information and value estimates

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£14,444

Contract duration information not available.

Key Dates

Publication, submission, and award timeline

Notice Status

Current status of tender, lots, awards, and contracts

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Cancelled
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority

Buyer organisation and contact details

NSA
NHS SUFFOLK AND NORTH EAST ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD
Services
Contact Name
Not specified
IPSWICH
IP1 2BX
East
England
TLH6 Suffolk

Awarded Supplier

Supplier who was awarded this contract

?
Not specifiedAwarded
Large, SME
View Profile
Number of Suppliers
16
Awards Value
Not specified

Documents & Links

External resources and data downloads

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)
OCDS RecordID: ocds-h6vhtk-05da15

The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector.

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