Primary Care Trust Procurement Guide for Health Services

The PCT Procurement Guide for Health Services supports NHS commissioners in deciding whether and how to procure health services through formal tendering and market-testing exercises. The Guide sets out the policy and regulatory context for procurement, and issues to consider when developing a procurement strategy. The Guide should be read in conjunction with the ‘Principles and rules for Cooperation and Competition’, published as Annex D of the 2008/9 Operating Framework, and the ‘Framework for Managing Choice, Cooperation and Competition’

Published May 2008, 24 pages

Framework for Managing Choice, Cooperation and Competition

This Framework supports SHAs and PCTs in understanding the roles, responsibilities, values and behaviours required for the effective management of choice and competition within the NHS. The Framework is the outcome of a series of workshops and seminars with senior SHA and PCT leaders. The Framework should be read in conjunction with the Principles and rules for Cooperation and Competition (Annex D of the 2008/9 Operating Framework) and the ‘Primary Care Trust Procurement Guide’ (published 16 May 2008). Additionally, the Framework signals a further series of tools and guidance for system managers to be released throughout the year.

Published May 2009, 7 page

Dental Commissioning and Contract Monitoring - Tendering, Procurement & Contracting

Hints and tips procurement paper; This briefing note sets out some of the key lessons learned by a number of PCTs that have undertaken procurement exercises for NHS dental services. Competitive tendering exercises have been highly successful in several respects in primary care dentistry as they have: enabled PCTs to re-commission lost services; secured improved access in specific localities (or for specific types of population) in line with local oral health needs assessment; improved quality; tested the local market and securing improved VFM, as measured by the PCT’s average £/UDA before and after the exercise. PCTs felt they had achieved improved value for money without a reduction in quality.

(Published February 2008, 4 pages)

Working with the independent sector and managing out of area treatments

Not for profit and for profit sectors are currently working both alongside and in competition with NHS provider organisations. How all parts of the service system interconnect will in future be crucial for service users and carers.

Mental Health Review Journal, 2007; 12 (2) p. 25-29

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