Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB
QK1000
Room G30, Pen Lloyd Building, County Hall, Glenfield
Leicester
LE3 8TB
UK
E-mail: llricb-llr.contracting@nhs.net
NUTS: UKF
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://leicesterleicestershireandrutland.icb.nhs.uk/
Address of the buyer profile: https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Health
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Enhanced Community Pharmacy service
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
The service is to deliver end-of-life medicines and urgent
community (palliative care drugs) in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
480 000.00
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKF21
UKF22
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
This notice is for a Direct Award C PSR process to commence from the 1 April 2026 for 24 months with possibility of extension of up to an additional 12 months, bringing the lifetime value of the contract to the value of c. £480,000. Under the test for considerable change this is within the permitted criteria (not exceeding £500,000).
The ICB is intending to award a contract to an existing provider following direct award process C, where the existing provider is satisfying the existing contract and will likely satisfy the proposed new contract, and the contract is not changing considerably, and the test for considerable change is not met.
The approximate lifetime value of the contract is £480,000
The dates between which the services are intended to be provided are: 01/04/2026 to 31/03/2028.
Aims and objectives of the service:
• The aim of this enhanced service is to provide service users and clinicians with prompt access to a range of palliative care and specialist medications on an urgent basis.
• Improving access to End of Life (EoL) medication is also expected to reduce pressure on secondary care providers and facilitate admission avoidance. If medication needs can be met
in a timely manner, more patients will be able to stay at home.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Cost criterion: The existing provider is satisfying the original contract and will likely satisfy the proposed contract to a sufficient standard
/ Weighting: 100
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
No
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
II.2.14) Additional information
Possibility of extension of up to an additional 12 months, bringing the lifetime value of the contract to the value of c. £480,000
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition
Justification for selected award procedure:
The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the Directive
Explanation
This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 do not apply to this award.
The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period, which begins the day after this notice is published.
Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority b ymidnight of the 23rd March 2026. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
No
Section V: Award of contract
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
03/03/2026
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
NUP S Corporation Ltd T/A Omcare Late Night Pharmacy
09774179
Leicester
LE4 5AU
UK
NUTS: UKF21
The contractor is an SME:
Yes
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 480 000.00
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 do not apply to this award.
The standstill period begins on the day after the publication of this notice. Representations by providers must be made to decision makers by 23rd March 2026.
This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.
- Details of the award decision-makers: NHS LNR ICB cluster Committees Meeting in Common for Finance and Contracting 03 March 2026
- How conflicts or potential conflicts of interest of individuals making the decision were managed: None were declared
- Explanation of the relative importance of the PSR's key criteria:
Relative importance of the key criteria:
1. Quality and innovation
During the pilot and the existing contracting period all quality outcomes for service delivery with the provider were assured. Acceptable processes are in place to recognise and report patient safety incidents. Good processes in place to mitigate risks, their QS RAG rating was agreed as Good.
2. Value
The provider has demonstrated how the service has delivered measurable value for money through reduced duplication, efficient resource utilisation, and the avoidance of unnecessary hospital admissions or escalation of care.
3. Integration, collaboration and service sustainability
The service is delivered in an integrated way, and the provider has engaged fully with all system stakeholders through the Improving Access to Anticipatory Medications workgroup. The service is sustainable based on current activity levels which are as predicted and are on average 14 per week.
4. Improving access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choice
One of the primary objectives of the pilot was to improve access to medications in the community and the interim evaluation clearly shows that this has been achieved and is a marked improvement on the previous model.
The service has ensured a reduction in inequalities, as patients receive medications regardless of their access to transport or ability to travel.
The service facilitates choice for patients in relation to their preferred place of death / care, ensuring that pain and other symptoms can be managed at home in a timely and manageable way.
5. Social value
Prior to the pilot, carers and family members were required to locate the medications prescribed which often involved visiting 4-5 separate pharmacies at a time when their loved one was in their last hours. The social value of enabling families to be at the bedside of their loved one is immeasurable.
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB
Leicester
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
11/03/2026