NHS England Increasing Capacity Framework Agreement - Refresh

In 2020 the National Health Service Commissioning Board (which uses the operational name "NHS England") established a framework for clinical services titled the Increasing Capacity Framework ("ICF") under the light touch regime and entered into a framework agreement with each provider appointed to the ICF. NHS England is inviting additional providers to apply to join the ICF. Under the framework agreement, NHS England is acting for itself and Clinical Commissioning Groups ("CCGs"), NHS Trusts and NHS Foundation Trusts and each of their successors (including but not limited to Integrated Care Boards ("ICBs")) for the purpose of this procurement (each a "Contracting Authority" and together the "Contracting Authorities") and will award contracts or sub-contracts for a range of clinical services (the "Framework Agreement"). The clinical services under the Framework Agreement will comprise: a) NHS inpatient & day case services (including full supporting pathology and imaging) and urgent elective care and cancer treatment in line with nationally set criteria; b) NHS Diagnostic Services.(the "Services") The objective of the Framework Agreement is to support the Contracting Authorities ability to increase capacity by purchasing additional activity from providers of required services. It is for Contracting Authorities to determine which specialties they wish to purchase based on local need. The intention is that a Framework Agreement will be entered into by NHS England on behalf of all Contracting Authorities with each provider assessed as capable through this procurement process (a "Provider"). The term of each Framework Agreement awarded pursuant to this ITT will be circa August 2022 until 20 November 2024. There will not be an option to extend. Providers must be able to ensure their ability to begin Service provision from August 2022, if required by any Contracting Authority. Once the Framework Agreement has been set up, contracts in the form of the NHS Standard Contract or Sub-Contract may be placed by a Contracting Authority with any provider holding a Framework Agreement covering the relevant Services required by that Contracting Authority in accordance with the call-off procedure. It is the intention that in accordance with the Framework Agreement, each Contracting Authority, may enter into a separate NHS Standard Contract or Sub-Contract with any Provider, for all or any of the Services. The Services in scope of this procurement process are healthcare services which fall under "social and other specific services" under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ("PCR"). The Contracting Authorities are therefore only bound by the parts of the PCR that specifically apply to social and other specific services.