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GP practices bidding against hospitals for £80m NHS contract

A GP federation has teamed up with a county council to bid for an NHS contract in Scarborough and Ryedale worth £80.6m.

East Coast Health Options Community Interest Company has partnered with North Yorkshire County Council to win a ‘multispecialty community provider’ (MCP) contract.

The council and federation, which includes 14 practices with 98,000 patients, are up against County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust and Humber NHS Foundation Trust, who are also bidding for the contract.

According to NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG, the voluntary contract will look after community services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and a community response team – but not primary medical services – for a maximum of seven years from 3 April 2018.

When asked how GPs will be involved in the MCP, if not through primary medical services, the CCG said they were limited in what they could specify while the procurement is ‘live’.

He said: ‘The specific details of the final model will be shared with patients and stakeholders after completion of the procurement process.’

But Dr Phil Garnett, chair of the CCG, said: ‘We want to see all of our community services organised around the communities where people live and the GP practices people use, and we want to work with partners who share our vision and can overcome barriers to joint working.

‘We envisage enhanced prevention and self-care at the core of our model and, if care becomes necessary, timely, integrated coordinated care and support.’