Urgent Palliative Care Medicines Cheshire East
Overview
Summary, notice description and lot information
The NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board has awarded a contract for "Urgent Palliative Care Medicines" in the health services category. The procurement process followed the Provider Selection Regime under the Health Care Services Regulations 2023, and the contract was confirmed by the Finance, Investment, Resources Committee on 19th November 2024. This one-year contract commenced on 1st April 2025 and will conclude on 31st March 2026.
The procurement utilised a limited method, directly awarding the contract without a prior call for competition. This contract specifically targets various pharmacy sites across Cheshire East, located in the UKD6 region, with an emphasis on maintaining an additional stock to cater to urgent palliative care needs. This contract opportunity presents substantial growth potential for pharmacies within Cheshire East that can manage pharmaceutical stock, ensure continual service coverage, and swiftly respond to public healthcare demands, including bank holidays and locum periods.
Primary stakeholders suitable for this tender are pharmacies capable of providing reliable and efficient palliative care services. Through this procurement, businesses have a chance to reinforce their role in local healthcare provision, enhance community presence, and benefit from assured financial arrangements such as quarterly payments for successful service delivery. Pharmacies such as Boots, Clear Pharmacy, and Well Pharmacy are amongst the suppliers actively engaged in supporting this initiative, highlighting the competitive landscape and presence of credible operators in this new contract.
The demand for palliative care drugs can be urgent and/or unpredictable. A number of the drugs used in palliative care are rarely used in other circumstances and are therefore often not widely available in community pharmacies. The stock held for the Urgent Palliative Care Medicine Service should be over and above the core stock holding and the ICB agrees to reimburse contractors should this medicine be held beyond the expiry date.
The Service provider is expected to order and continuously hold the range and quantity of stock specified for the total number of hours the pharmacy is open, including bank holiday and rotas and during any periods of locum cover. Payment Details
- PS201.80 annual fee for providing full and continuous service as outlined in the service specification and irrespective of the number of prescriptions dispensed.
- The fee will be paid in four instalments of PS50.45 on the completion of the quarterly audit.
- The commissioner has the discretion to withhold quarterly payments where the commissioned service provider fails to/is unable to, respond to the commissioner's assistance, including early termination of a contract for repeated transgressions.
- The pharmacy is expected to carry out good stock management and on the rare occasions when medicines on the approved list expire, Cheshire East Place will reimburse the Drug Tariff or cost price of stock that reaches its expiry date.
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB has awarded a one year contract via Direct Award A to Local Pharmacists within Cheshire East Cheshire and Merseyside ICB. The contract commenced on 1st April 2025 and will expire on the 31st March 2026 with an estimated combined Cheshire East Indicative annual contract value of PS 2,825.20 for the selected pharmacists to participate in this scheme. The reimbursement of palliative care drugs is funded separately.
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