Eye Care Services Contract Awarded for £139,200
Summary
NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board has awarded a contract for Primary Eye Care Services Post Operative Cataract for £139,200. The contract was awarded to the existing provider who has been delivering a good service with positive patient feedback and outcomes.
What changed
This notice announces the award of a contract for Primary Eye Care Services Post Operative Cataract (POCS) by NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board. The contract value is £139,200 and is for the period 2026-2028. The POCS service allows low-risk patients to have post-operative cataract surgery follow-up appointments and sight tests conducted by community optometrists, rather than in traditional hospital settings.
The contract was awarded to the existing provider under a direct award process, citing satisfactory performance, meeting KPIs, no quality concerns, good outcomes, and positive patient feedback. The terms of the new contract are not expected to change significantly from the existing arrangement. This is a contract award notice, indicating a final decision has been made regarding this procurement.
Source document (simplified)
Contract
Primary Eye Care Services Post Operative Cataract for WE 26-28
- NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board F03: Contract award notice
Notice identifier: 2026/S 000-026514
Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-067206
Published 23 March 2026, 6:17pm
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Contents
one. Contracting authority Press escape key to exit two. Object four. Procedure five. Award of contract six. Complementary information
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- Copy link Print this notice Report concerns about this procurement ## Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board
The Forum
Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead
HP1 1DN
Contact
Aparna Garg
hweicbhv.procurementteam@nhs.net
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKH23 - Hertfordshire
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.hertsandwestessex.icb.nhs.uk/
Buyer's address
https://www.hertsandwestessex.icb.nhs.uk/
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Health
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Primary Eye Care Services Post Operative Cataract for WE 26-28
two.1.2) Main CPV code
Health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The Post Operative Cataract Service (POCS) is service under the Primary Eyecare Services (PES) contract allowing low-risk patients to be reviewed for the post-op follow-up appointment outside of traditional hospital-based pathways, with community Optometrists. This includes patients who have had routine, uncomplicated cataract surgery.
To confirm as per the PSR Direct Award Process C, the existing provider is satisfying the existing contract, delivering a good service, meeting all KPIs, with no quality concerns and good outcomes and has very good feedback from patients and are likely to satisfy the new contract, and the proposed contracting arrangements are not changing from the existing contract.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £139,200
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
Health services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH35 - West Essex
Main site or place of performance
Harlow, Essex
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Follow-up appointments are provided in the community within 4-6 weeks after surgery, combined with the require sight test, meaning only one appointment for patients rather than two. The POCS is a clinical examination to check for, or treat, any postoperative complications, assess visual outcome and refractive status. If no complications then a patient is discharged from the POCS and the provider is updated on this outcome, by suitably qualified clinicians locally, in a safe, convenient and appropriate environment. Where there are complications safely referred back to the provider. This should also see a reduction in outpatient follow-up appointments in an acute setting freeing up sessions and clinics for addressing the review list and outpatient first attendances.
A POCS Pilot for 12 months period was carried out with Primary Eye Care services from May-22 to Mar-23. A six month extension period was agreed to allow decision on POCS from Mar-23 to Sep-23.
In Aug-23, POCS Evaluation was presented to West Essex Transformation Committee, with finanical modelling. Business case was taken through the triple lock process and it was agreed to commission the POCS service for 18 months from Oct-23 – Apr 25. The POCS was re-evaluated in Aug 24 to review is impact. Recommendation was to continue the service as achieving KPI’s.
The contract award and extension of the POCS service from 1st Apr 2026-31st Mar 2028 was agreed at Essex Joint Executive Committee on 06/01/26 & the Central East Central Payer Function Committee on 16.01.26.
Contract is being awarded to the existing provider following Direct Award Process C.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: The existing provider is satisfying the original contract and will likely satisfy the proposed contract to a sufficient standard. / Weighting: 100
Cost criterion - Name: The existing provider is satisfying the original contract and will likely satisfy the proposed contract to a sufficient standard. / Weighting: 0
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
Option to extend by one year
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below
- New works/services, constituting a repetition of existing works/services 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 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by 2nd April 2026. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
Section five. Award of contract
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
23 March 2026
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Primary Eye Care services
Waulk Mill [2.3] 51 Bengal Street, Manchester, England
Manchester
M4 6LN
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKH35 - West Essex
National registration number
06722353
The contractor is an SME
Yes
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £139,200
Total value of the contract/lot: £139,200
Section six. Complementary information
six.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 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be made to decision makers by 2nd April 2026. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.
Any representations should be sent to hweicbhv.procurementteam@nhs.net
The contract award under the Provider Selection Regime Process C was approved at the Essex Joint Executive Committee on 06/01/26 & Central East Central Payer Function Committee on 16.01.26.
There were no conflicts or potential conflicts declared.
The options paper for this service was presented at the following panels and committees:
POCS Pilot-23rd July 2020 at the West Essex Transformation Committee
POCS evaluation and business case for contract award-17th August 2023 at the West Essex Transformation Committee
POCS business case for extension of service-7th Oct 2024 at the Financial Scrutiny Panel.
Contract award for POCS (one year) plus extension of service by another year was agreed from 1st April 2026-31st March 2028
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board
The Forum
Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead
HP1 1DN
Country
United Kingdom
Internet address
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