HSJ reports that private hospital providers have been asked to apply to a new procurement framework worth up to £10bn, from which NHS organisations will purchase additional capacity for up to four years.
The framework represents a key element of the NHS England’s plans to cope with coronavirus over winter, by outsourcing significant amounts of routine activity to independent hospitals.
Procurement frameworks create a list of suppliers that have demonstrated they can meet certain criteria, and can be asked to deliver services when required. NHS England will decide which suppliers qualify to be on the framework; local trusts and health systems can commission services from the final list.
This replaces the system that has been in place since the start of the covid-19 pandemic, in which NHSE has block booked private capacity across the country.
Full story in The HSJ, 15 October 2020
