Integrated Urgent Care Services covering Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Central East (excl. Cambridge and Peterborough)

NHS Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board, NHS Essex Integrated Care Board and NHS Central East Integrated Care Board (together, the “Relevant Authorities”) are collaboratively considering the future commissioning of Integrated Urgent Care Services across their respective geographical footprints, excluding Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

The emerging scope includes NHS 111, Clinical Assessment Services, GP Out of Hours services and Urgent Care Coordination Hub arrangements. The ambition is to support more integrated and equitable access to urgent care, enabling patients to tell their story once, receive a trusted clinical assessment and be directed to the right care, closer to home where appropriate, while reducing avoidable pressure on emergency services.

The current planning assumption is that any future contractual arrangements would commence on 1 October 2028, following an indicative six-month mobilisation period, subject to governance approval, any future provider selection process and successful mobilisation.

This notice is being issued to support a programme of pre-procurement market engagement. The Relevant Authorities are seeking information and evidence from the market to inform future commissioning, service design and procurement decisions.

This is a planning notice for market engagement, not a call for competition, and does not invite tenders or commit the Relevant Authorities to a particular procurement route, service model, lotting structure or contract award. Final governance, delegation and contracting arrangements also remain to be agreed.