Insightfully, in 2019 the East of England NHS Collaborative Procurement Hub (EOECPH) considered how the approach to health and care in England might evolve.  We then anticipated what additional support systems the NHS and wider sector could need to assist this journey of change.

EOECPH’s future vision of what support could look like was captured in our Transforming Organisations, Partnerships and Systems (Transform) framework.

This is an active framework, providing a compliant, live contracting route until April 2023, when we will be renewing and refreshing the services encompassed by the framework.  In the meantime, the Transform framework is suitable for awarding contracts for 5 years, to support systems and boards within this period of change and improvements.

The framework actively supports recent and ongoing approaches to health and social care, and reflects goals set out by the government and the Department of Health and Social Care.

Re: the government's 2022-23 mandate to NHS England, published 31 March 2022

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1065713/2022-to-2023-nhs-england-mandate.pdf

As set out in the mandate published by the Department of Health and Social Care, March 2022, the then Secretary of State for Health and Social Care identified that:

“This is a transition year for health and care as, subject to the passage of the Health and Care Bill, the legal framework for the NHS and its relationship with local government will be changing. This means that NHS England will become legally responsible for the functions currently carried out by NHS Improvement. It will also be working with NHS Digital and Health Education England to prepare to take on their functions at a later date, if Parliament agrees. This mandate is, therefore, intended to cover the period to March 2023 and will then be replaced with one that more fully reflects these future changes.”

The strategic context for this document is, in essence, about improving outcomes from health and care, taking an integrated approach. To support this ideal, the government has set out how it sees NHS England and other partners developing the existing arena of care, essentially providing a holistic wrap, supporting people who need both health and social care.

Subject to Parliament's agreement through the implementation of the Health and Care Bill and from the government's 2022-23 mandate to NHS England, presented to Parliament pursuant to Section 13A of the National Health Service Act 2006, five objectives need to be met to facilitate this approach:

1. Continue to lead the NHS in managing the impact of COVID-19 on health and care
2. Recover, and maintain delivery of, wider NHS services and functions
3. Renew focus on delivering against the NHS Long Term Plan and broader commitments for the NHS
4. Embed a population health management approach within local systems, stepping up action to prevent ill health and tackle health disparities
5. Ensure effective NHS leadership, culture, and use of organisational resource to realise the benefits from future structural changes within health and care

This echoes the stance set out in the NHS System Oversight Framework 2021/22, published June 2021:

More recently, the NHS has the added responsibility of considering social value in all procurements.  These requirements are set out in Applying net zero and social value in the procurement of NHS goods and services, which details themes and outcomes.

All these needs and more are fully met by the Transform framework.   Awards can be made either via direct award or mini competition.

If you would like any further information on the framework, which is free to access for all publicly funded entities, please email Business.Services@eoecph.nhs.uk.  If you are a member of any of the NHS Procurement in Partnership* (NHS PiP) partners, please contact your local procurement hub (see below).

*NHS Procurement in Partnership (NHS PiP) is made up of four NHS procurement hub partners who have been working collaboratively, since 2014, to deliver value for money solutions to the NHS: NHS Commercial Solutions, East of England NHS Collaborative Procurement Hub (EOECPH), NHS London Procurement Partnership (NHS LPP), NHS North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative (NOE CPC).