CCGs in Nottingham have chosen private health provider Circle to run the Nottingham independent treatment centre for five more years.
Principia Rushcliffe CCG co-ordinated the retendering on behalf of itself, Nottingham City, Nottingham North and East, Nottingham West CCG, Mansfield and Ashfield CCG, Newark and Sherwood CCG and Erewash CCG.
The decision to award the contract to Circle follows a seven-month tender process managed by NHS Midlands and East’s Strategic Projects Team. Published tender information suggests the likely contract value is between £22 million and £42 million and is understood to be significantly less than the value of the previous contract.
In a statement, Principia Rushcliffe CCG said: ‘The contract from July 2013 will not be the same as it has been over the last five years. A selection of the services currently provided at the treatment centre are being re-procured and the commissioners are seeking potential opportunities to deliver services in new and cost effective ways.’
Circle has been running the Nottingham NHS Treatment Centre for the past five years as a day surgery facility. The previous contract stipulated that the treatment centre’s services be re-tendered after a five-year period.
The new contract will cover dermatology, rheumatology, endocrinology, a hepatitis clinic, gynaecology (including Dexa scanning) and diagnostics in support of these specialties.
Other bidders for the contract which passed the pre-qualification stage were, Care UK Clinical Services, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Spire Healthcare, Ramsay Health Care Ltd.
In a statement, Circle said they had achieved ‘outstanding’ quality metrics including average patient recommendation of 99%.
Steve Melton, Circle CEO, said: ‘We are delighted that we can continue to provide healthcare services for Nottingham patients. This was an innovative bid put together by the local clinicians who have been delivering quality services on the frontline for the past five years. This decision is a vote of confidence in Circle’s cutting-edge model of clinical leadership and employee engagement, which is now benefiting patients across the country.’
