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How to win GP contracts and funding

Doctor consultation

If you are a surgery or general practice looking to win substantial contracts or funding, it can be a daunting prospect, particularly if you are an already over-worked GP or Practice Manager struggling for time.

What types of GP contracts can you bid for?

APMS (Alternative Provider Medical Services) contracts are regularly put out to tender by the NHS commissioners – usually Integrated Care Boards or local authorities – every week on the Government’s Find a Tender website. This type of contact enables private sector companies to provide primary care services. They can also be used as a vehicle to commission contracts for services that are outside the scope of core general practice such as helping individuals or groups not signed up to surgeries, for example asylum seekers or the homeless.

PMS (Personal Medical Services) contracts were hugely popular and generally facilitated by NHS England and Clinical Commissioning Groups but these are being phased out in favour of a new Integrated Care Provider (ICP) contract to allow for a better integration of services.

GMS (General Medical Services) contracts are the national standard GP contract.

For more information on the types of GP contracts, see The Kings Fund website.

We tend to work more on bids for APMS contracts and, in partnership with PMA, are here to support and guide GPs and Practice Managers through the tender bid process.

In fact, we have bid on more than 300 health and social care contracts with a win rate of 93%, securing £1 billion in contracts and funding for our clients.

Is there any general practice funding available in the UK?

The latest NHS England waiting list figures, up to November 2023, stand at 7.6 million. That’s 7.6 million people who are all waiting to start elective/non urgent treatments in England.

While this has dropped ever so slightly from 7.7 million in October 2023, it is still much larger than the 7.2 million it was just a year ago in November 2022.

According to The Lancet, NHS England’s recovery plan aims to increase capacity by up to 30%, compared with pre-pandemic levels, over the next three years through a range of measures, including extra staff and increased use of the independent sector.

Due to this significant, unprecedented pressure on our healthcare system, we anticipate that there will be additional funding opportunities for GP Practices and Primary Care Networks (PCNs) made available by NHS England.

The General Practice Improvement Programme (GPIP), for example, provides nationally funded support for practices and primary care networks (PCNs) to implement modern general practice.

There is also funding available to GP practices to help them with going digital, such as cloud-based telephone systems, online consultation software and new appointment booking systems.

Find out more on the NHS website.

If you need help with winning GP contracts or funding, get in touch with K Low Consulting today to see how we can assist you. Contact info@klowconsulting.com or give us a call on 0330 133 1041.

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Does tendering feature in your growth plans for 2024?

Bid strategy

If you are looking to grow your business in 2024, tendering for a large contract could take your organisation to the next level.

Winning a new, large contract is a great way to grow your business significantly but it can also cause a business to unravel if the resources and processes aren’t in place before you start delivering the contract.

Make 2024 the year you grow through tender bids with our top tips:

  1. Bid strategy

Before you start applying for any tenders, you need to make sure that any contract opportunities you go for align with your wider business goals. You will no doubt have a business plan, financial forecast or marketing plan ready for 2024, so why not create a bid or contract strategy too?

Your bid strategy should consider the potential growth areas in your business. What are you best at? Do you have a specialism or niche? Where do you have capacity? What are your most profitable services? Do you see demand increasing for one of your services in 2024? Will you be launching new products or services?

Once you have asked yourself these questions, you will have a clearer understanding of the types of contracts you should bid for, and this will shape your strategy.

2. Analyse contract opportunities carefully

As well as considering if a particular tender or contract opportunity aligns with your bid or contract strategy, it is also important to think about how else this will benefit your organisation. For example, if it is a small contract but with a company you have wanted to work with for a while, it could be a good way to get your foot in the door. It is also worth thinking about the time it will take to pull the bid together versus your likelihood of winning the tender. Is there going to be a lot of competition for this contract? Would you be able to meet the deadline comfortably with other work commitments? Are you absolutely positive you can fulfil the requirements of the tender bid if you were to win the contract? Also think of the financial implications. Can you price your products and services competitively to win the tender? Will you need to invest in more staff, machinery or equipment to deliver this contract? Would you still make a profit?

3. Ensure your processes work and scale up as necessary

In order to manage growth effectively and deliver a winning bid, you need to have total confidence in your people, systems and processes. Are they scaleable solutions? Could they cope with the extra work? For example, could your software cope with an influx of new users? Do you need to recruit more staff? It’s important not to have the mindset of dealing with issues as and when they come along. Instead, you should manage any risk involved and plan ahead, so that when you land the contract and growth happens, you are ready.

4. Put together a strong bid team

Quality tender submissions take time and should involve more than one person. Create a tender task force of people who can all bring something to the bidding process. You should also assign a project manager too. As part of our Four Phase Approach, we assign our clients with their own bid manager, who creates a clear timeline of the project which drives the entire process, and engages with the identified key contributors to gather the key information needed to create a winning bid.

5. Bring in the experts

Growing a business and tendering for new bids can feel daunting, which is why it’s reassuring to have a team of experts supporting you through the process. Here at K Low Consulting we work with our clients to help them through the bid process, right from developing a contract strategy to supporting them to deliver the contract when the bid has been won.

So, make 2024 your year for growth and contact us to discuss how tendering for new business can form an integral part of your strategy.

For more information or to discuss how we can work with your organisation to help you win and manage contracts, contact us today on 0330 1331 041 or info@klowconsulting.com.

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How will the Procurement Act 2023 affect NHS and other public sector tenders?

NHS procurement

The Procurement Bill received Royal Assent on 26th October and is now known as the Procurement Act 2023 and is likely to come into force in 2024.

But what exactly is it? And what does it mean for NHS and public sector contract tenders?

What is the Procurement Act?

The new Procurement Act aims to reshape the way public sector contracts, including those in healthcare, are awarded. The overarching goal is to streamline processes, increase transparency, and promote fair competition among suppliers.

It is expected that further guidance will be released in March 2024, with a view to the Act ‘going live’ in October 2024.


What will change?

It is likely that any tender processes that have started before the Act comes into effect won’t be affected. Although, there is a question at the moment whether or not this includes Prior Information Notices (PINs) as these are information-only notices and are not actively inviting organisations to tender for a contract and, therefore, have not officially started the procurement process.

Between now and October 2024, legislation needs to be drafted and guidance will be published during the course of 2024. A six-month notice period will also implemented to allow suppliers, local authorities and other commissioners ample opportunity to prepare and embed any new or improved internal processes before the Act becomes law.

How will the Procurement Act change NHS tenders?

The Procurement Act 2023 will replace current procurement rules in relation to NHS and health and social care contracts.

According to the gov.uk website, ‘the new Procurement Act will benefit suppliers of all sizes, particularly start-ups, scale-ups and small businesses’ by creating ‘a central digital platform for suppliers to register and store their details so that they can be used for multiple bids, and see all opportunities in one place. Simplified bidding processes will make it easier to bid, negotiate and work in partnership with the public sector’.

It is also hoped that commercial frameworks will be more flexible and accessible and it will remove some of the bureaucratic barriers currently in place that prevents smaller businesses from competing for contracts. Prompt payment in public sector supply chains has also been cited as a benefit of the new system.

What next?

The Procurement Act 2023 is a significant change to the process of bidding for and winning public sector contracts and we will continue to educate ourselves as this moves forward.

In fact, on Wednesday 22nd November, we attended the Procurement Reform Supplier Conference in Manchester which covered the forthcoming changes at length with speakers from the Cabinet Office and PASS Procurement.

One key thing we took away from this conference that people need to prepare for these changes now or face not making supplier lists.

Other key, recurring themes were the importance of demonstrating sustainability and social value in tender bids. These are likely to be of great significance to commissioners going forward so we would urge potential suppliers to carefully think about what they are doing in these areas and how can they do more and demonstrate their activities in 2024 and beyond.

If you are looking to win more public sector contracts through tenders, or are worried about the impact The Procurement Act 2023 could have on your ability to win lucrative contracts in the future, contact us on 0330 1331 041 or info@klowconsulting.com.

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New bill will make it easier for businesses to compete for public sector contracts

A new bill is currently being passed through Parliament which aims to make it easier for businesses to enter public sector supply chains.

The Procurement Bill lays out new rules and procedures for central government departments, their bodies and the wider public sector when selecting suppliers and awarding contracts with a value above certain thresholds.

In this blog, we look at what the Bill means, and the ways in which it could benefit Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) or Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs) looking to work with the Government and public sector in the future.

What is the Procurement Bill?

To put it simply, the Procurement Bill will make it easier to do business with central Government and the public sector by breaking down some of the barriers which currently exist, particularly in organisations such as the NHS.

Looking ahead, contracting authorities will be expected to consider SMEs and VCSEs to ensure a level playing field for all. Particular focus will be put on communicating with new suppliers of all sizes and making sure bidding times are realistic, especially for smaller businesses who may not have access to dedicated bidding teams. SMEs may also find themselves in a better position than their larger counterparts with smaller overheads allowing them to put forward more competitive prices.

Other benefits will include:

Greater flexibility of an authority’s ‘commercial pipelines’ and details of opportunities worth up to £2 million published up to 18 months in advance. This will give smaller contractors the chance to plan ahead and make the most of any relevant opportunities which may arise.

The introduction of clear rules about how authorities can communicate with businesses ahead of releasing a tender, giving potential new contractors the chance to network more freely with the authorities without having to worry about falling foul of the guidelines.

The introduction of a central platform where clear information about forthcoming tenders is published making the entire process much more transparent. Businesses will be able to set up email notifications to alert them about bids tailored to them.

A ‘tell us once’ approach – which allows details to be entered into a central platform or database once regardless of how many tenders a business may wish to bid for. There will also be a more flexible approach from the authorities to awarding contracts.

A detailed assessment summary which shows how an unsuccessful bid compares against the winning applicant.

Support with contract management to ensure the successful contractor is able to deliver. New rules will also be introduced removing the need for insurance relating to the performance of a contract.

An enhanced commercial tool called a Dynamic Market will be introduced to allow suppliers to join frameworks at any time rather than being locked out of the process, providing many new opportunities for smaller businesses.

How will it benefit me and my business?

Knowing how to navigate supply chain routes into organisations including the NHS has always been challenging so a Bill which helps to smooth that process will be a huge benefit to innovative small business and organisations looking for a way in.

Greater transparency on all signs can only be a good thing and will enable businesses to be better informed about the opportunities available and the best ways to get involved.

Proper feedback about why a particular bid failed is also important in giving businesses the tools and information they need to grow and succeed and come back with a successful bid next time.

The legislation will allow an authority to award contracts to ‘the most advantageous tender’ without having to be constrained by whichever offers ‘best value,’ a huge step forward for smaller, more local businesses.

And 30-day payment terms will apply throughout public sector supply chains, regardless of whether they are written into the contract. This will mean that businesses will receive payment from contracting authorities within 30 days.

At K Low Consulting, we welcome these changes and look forward to the Bill being implemented as soon as possible.

In the meantime, if you need help with commercial bid writing,bid management and strategy, get in touch with K Low Consulting today to see how we can assist you.

Contact info@klowconsulting.com or give us a call on 0330 133 1041.

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Can you deliver on the promises made in your tender bid?

tender contract win

In our last three blogs, we have written about the first three phases of our ‘Four Phase approach’ to tender bids and the benefits of working through these phases to ensure a successful bid outcome.

Phase 1 looks at the importance of developing a contract strategy, which is followed by Phase 2 – Opportunity Analysis and then Phase 3 – Tender Writing and Management.

Our fourth and final phase looks at Implementation and Contract Management, which is essentially the mobilisation stage.

What is meant by mobilisation?


Once you have demonstrated to a commissioner that you have the resources, skills and expertise or perfect product to deliver the contract, you need to deliver the goods, so to speak.

Efficient mobilisation and implementation of your organisation’s services is critical to fulfilling the requirements of the tender and contract.

You need to get the contract ‘up and running’ smoothly, ensuring an easy and enjoyable customer journey for the organisation awarding the contract and any service or product users. You also need to meet any expectations and targets or KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) from day one and keep checking on these regularly.

Processes and guidelines


One way to ensure that everything works as intended and meets client expectations is to create processes. And, if you already have processes in place, break these down and scrutinise them before you are due to start delivering the contract. Can these be simplified or improved in any way? Does everyone in the process know EXACTLY what they need to be doing? Do they have all the equipment, budget and resources they need to be able to deliver the best possible service?

Here at K Low Consulting, we work with our clients to do just this.

As part of our bid management process, we design and develop a Mobilisation and Implementation Plan which provides clear guidelines and schedules and ensures everyone is working to the same specifications and expectations. And, we work with organisations to break down complex processes into manageable work streams with clear ownership of tasks.

Managing growth effectively


Many tender bids, if successful, ultimately result in growth for the business. Growth can sometimes mean that processes that used to work on a smaller scale aren’t as effective once you scale up. And, you can’t just ‘give things a try’ and then fix it if and when it all goes wrong. You need to manage any risk involved and plan ahead, looking for any potential problems as part of the tender bid process so these can be resolved before you are awarded the contract. Use the time between submission and contract award to test any processes and procedures.

Contract management support


We find that managing the delivery of a contract is sometimes easier as an ‘outsider looking in’. An impartial, extra pair of eyes and ears can be hugely beneficial.

Following submission and contract award, we provide ongoing support to our clients during this mobilisation process to ensure timely delivery, accurate reporting and that desired outcomes and targets are achieved.

By focussing on achieving successful outcomes and supporting the growth of your company, we are best placed to provide support to your team too. We can help them understand and implement new services and procedures and understand the benefits. We can also make sure there is accountability when needed to guarantee that the contract is managed and delivered effectively.

Our support is flexible and bespoke, but may include:

•              Summary of implementation plan and key stage gates

•              Handover of reporting documentation with clarification around what needs reporting and the evidence required

•              Summary of key commitments and commissioner options for breach of contract

•              Quarterly progress checks

•              Support with reporting completion

•              Internal performance report, highlighting risks

•              Case study production for marketing purposes

Winning a tender bid can be hugely exciting and grow your business substantially but it is important not to lose your head or assume you can deliver everything you have outlined because you simply believe in your team or product.

Take the time to look at HOW you will deliver this contract and if your processes are fit for purpose. Appoint someone to oversee the contract and hold everyone accountable and check that targets are being met – the commissioner, end user and your team will all thank you in the long run.

For more information or to discuss how we can work with your organisation to help you win and manage contracts, contact us today on 0330 1331 041 or info@klowconsulting.com.

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Do you analyse new contract opportunities before tendering for them?

Do you analyse new contract opportunities before tendering for them?

In our last blog, we wrote about our ‘Four Phase approach’ to working with clients on their tender bids.

Phase 1 was all about developing a contract strategy. This can be a part of your wider growth or business plans and help provide focus and clarity when it comes to knowing which contracts to go for and where your skills and resources are particularly suited.

Once you have got a business strategy and you know what it is you’re hoping to achieve, it is time for Phase 2 – Opportunity Analysis.

What is Opportunity Analysis?

Working with the Contract Strategy developed as part of Phase 1, performing an Opportunity Analysis will help you to identify and analyse the right opportunities for you and ensure that any contracts you bid for will meet your overall business goals.

There will be countless opportunities out there that could give the chance for your company to grow, but will they benefit the business long term? That is the question you must consider when you’re checking out the opportunities available.

Each tender will take time, effort and internal resources, so it is vital that you are sure that it is worth it and that you are not distracted by any ‘big money’ tenders that could take your business off into a completely different direction or even take it backwards into delivering a service you have moved away from for a good reason.

How do you analyse opportunities effectively?
Investigate your contract opportunities for the next one to three years working in line with your projected strategic goals and ambitions. In our in-depth discussions with clients we help them with this process using our years of business strategy and tender bid experience.

As well as the direction you want the business to go into, you also need to consider other factors such as staff, equipment and costs to get a clear idea of the true contract value for your organisation. What might seem a lucrative deal could end up costing you money in the long run if you need to hire more staff or buy more machinery and equipment.

We also analyse your likelihood of winning contracts. You don’t want to spend a lot of time and resource on developing a tender bid if you only have a slim chance of winning the bid. Performing in-depth competitor analysis can also help determine your likelihood of winning a tender.

What next?
Once you have developed your business and contracts strategies and used these to effectively analyse and live or upcoming contract opportunities, you are ready for Phase 3 – Tender Writing & Management.

Opportunity Analysis is the most cost-effective, time efficient and helpful process to ensure you successfully win the right contract for you.

At K Low Consulting, we work in close collaboration with our clients so that we can use our knowledge of your business and your goals and vision to be able to do just that.

For more information or to discuss how we can work with your organisation to help you win tender bids that are right for you, contact us today on 0330 1331 041 or info@klowconsulting.com.

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Do you have a contract strategy?

Many organisations only apply or bid for tenders when they see one that they feel ‘is just right’ for them, or if they need to find new business fast.

Very rarely do we meet companies, charities or public sector organisations who actually have a contract strategy in place. A contract strategy can be a part of your wider growth or business plans and help provide focus and clarity when it comes to knowing which contracts to go for and where your skills and resources are particularly suited.

When you look at contract opportunities strategically and in line with your wider business plan, you can ‘see the wood for the trees’ and ascertain if a particular contract will fit in with the direction you want to take the business in. Do you actually want to grow your business in this particular area? Will you need to invest money in equipment or staff to deliver this contract? If so, could this investment be better spent elsewhere in the business to win other contracts that are more aligned to where you want to be and what you want to be known for?

Our Four Phase approach


When we work with clients, we work to a Four Phase process:

Phase 1 – Business and contract strategy

Phase 2 – Opportunity analysis

Phase 3 – Tender writing and management

Phase 4 – Implementation and contract analysis

Over the coming weeks and months we will explore the other three phases a bit more closely, but for the purpose of this blog, we want to discuss what is meant by a contract strategy and why they are so vital when it comes to tender success.

What is a contract strategy and why do you need one?


If you are a business with growth aspirations, chances are you have a business plan or growth strategy in place. This could be in the form of financial targets, growing the headcount of your team or expanding into new products or services. You may even have plans to take on new premises and grow geographically, or to acquire or merge with existing businesses to strengthen your position in the markets you operate in.

Having a cohesive contract strategy that sees you only tender for and take on contracts that are aligned to your business and growth strategy makes life so much simpler and allows you to focus on the opportunities that are right for your business at the right time, rather than being attracted by the ‘carrot’ of a big money contract that you can’t deliver effectively or that takes you down a road that you didn’t want the business to go down.

Developing your contract strategy


Finding and developing your strategy is a great exercise to carry out at the start of your tender journey, which is why it is Phase 1 of our approach.

Thanks to our many years of experience in this area, we can help our clients to create the most effective contract strategy for their business. We understand that every organisation is unique, so we offer a bespoke consultation service to form a business and contract strategy. This is not something we simply ‘go away and do’. It is very much a collaborative process that sees us get to know your organisation inside out. We also conduct in-depth research on potential competitors you may be bidding against, the contract commissioners and the local and national agenda.

Getting results


Writing a winning tender bid requires more than just excellent writing skills. A great tender is backed by expert research and an acute understanding of your organisation now and where it wants to go. It also about being realistic and transparent. If there are any potential shortfalls, problems or challenges that may prevent you from delivering a contract, these will be highlighted and solutions worked towards before you even bid for the contract, and the work you have done will be evidenced as part of your bid.

Every bid we write is produced in alignment to best practice methodology developed from insight gained from overseeing – and winning – hundreds of bids. This learning has provided intimate knowledge of the time and complexity of every task required to produce a winning submission from our bid team, and that of our clients’ internal teams and their stakeholders.

A winning tender is much more than just the words on the page, it is the culmination of a team effort – strategic thinking, investigative research, clarity and focus.

If you are clear and confident in your business and contract strategy then you can make informed choices about future tender opportunities that best suit your organisation and will make it thrive and grow further.

Then you are ready for Phase 2 – Opportunity analysis…

If you would like help with developing a business and contract strategy for your organisation, get in touch with Krisja Low on 0330 1331 041 or info@klowconsulting.com.

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What is the NHS System Oversight Framework and what does it mean for procurement going forward?

NHS procurement

At the end of June, NHS England (NHSE) announced plans to transform the way integrated care systems (ICSs) buy non NHS goods and services in a document entitled NHS System Oversight Framework 2021/22.

But what is the significance of this framework? And what will it change for companies and organisations looking to land NHS contracts?

What is the NHS System Oversight Framework?

The NHS System Oversight Framework for 2021/22 replaces the NHS Oversight Framework for 2019/20, which brought together arrangements for provider and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) oversight in a single document.

The purpose of the document/framework is to reinforce the system-led delivery of integrated care, in line with the vision set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, the White Paper Integration and Innovation: Working Together to Improve Health and Social Care for All, and aligns with the priorities set out in the 2021/22 Operational Planning Guidance.

This framework applies to all Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), NHS trusts and foundation trusts and focuses on five key metrics:

  1. Quality of care
  2. Access and outcomes
  3. Preventing ill health and reducing inequalities
  4. People; finance and use of resources
  5. Leadership and capability

The approach to oversight is characterised by the following key principles:

a. working with and through ICSs, wherever possible, to tackle problems

b. a greater emphasis on system performance and quality of care outcomes, alongside the contributions of individual healthcare providers and commissioners to system goals

c. matching accountability for results with improvement support, as appropriate

d. greater autonomy for ICSs and NHS organisations with evidence of collective working and a track record of successful delivery of NHS priorities, including tackling inequality, health outcomes and access

e. compassionate leadership behaviours that underpin all oversight interactions

Implementation of the framework

While the scope of this framework reflects the role of NHS England and NHS Improvement as a national regulator of NHS provided and/or commissioned  services, it also recognises that ‘the vision for ICSs is based on the core principles of equal partnership across health and local government: subsidiarity, collaboration and flexibility’ and that ‘delivering the priorities for the NHS depends on collaboration across health and care, both within a place and at scale’.

But implementing the framework won’t be easy and straight forward.

NHS leaders are looking for specificity in how oversight will operate within a system context and there will need to be a high degree of flexibility to design approaches that best reflect local circumstances and maintain ownership and engagement across the full range of system partners.

But implementing the framework won’t be easy and straight forward.

NHS leaders are looking for specificity in how oversight will operate within a system context and there will need to be a high degree of flexibility to design approaches that best reflect local circumstances and maintain ownership and engagement across the full range of system partners.

When will the framework be implemented?

The existing statutory roles and responsibilities of NHS England and NHS Improvement in relation to trusts and commissioners remain unchanged for 2021/22. The framework sets out how NHS leaders and organisations will be required to operate with their partners in ICSs from April 2022.

The oversight framework will be updated further for 2022/23. The updated document is expected to confirm ICSs’ formal role in oversight including:

bringing system partners together to identify risks, issues and support needs and facilitate collective action to tackle performance challenges

and

leading oversight and support of individual organisations and partnership arrangements within their systems.

What does it all mean going forward?

The thinking behind the framework is that local NHS procurement teams will be able to change the way they buy non-NHS goods and services and move towards a more system-level way of working, and away from procurement teams dedicated to single organisations.

ICSs will be able to “tailor their procurement organisation structure based on their respective level of maturity, spend profiles, associated phasing of roles and local considerations” but the lack of data harmonisation at local, regional and national level and clarity around best practice approach could make implementation difficult.

With regards to companies who are looking to supply the NHS at a local level, they will have to keep an eye on how this framework develops between now and April 2022 and establish relationships with the ICSs who will soon be in charge of their own procurement and spending.

If you are looking for help with securing NHS contracts, contact the K Low Consulting team on 0330 1331 041 or info@klowconsulting.com.

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NHS waiting lists could result in tender opportunities

We’ve all seen the worrying headlines about the growth in NHS waiting lists following the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Just this week it has been reported in the national news that the number of people on NHS waiting lists hit a 12-year high. At least 162,000 patients are waiting more than a year for routine operations and the total NHS waiting list for routine treatments reached 4.4 million at the end of October. More than a third of those patients had been waiting more than 18 weeks – the NHS target for waiting times, from referral to treatment.

As the NHS continues to suspend operations as it tackles the Coronavirus epidemic, experts are expecting to see these waiting list figures rise even further in 2021.

To tackle this growing problem, NHS bosses need to introduce additional capacity into the system and one of the ways they are looking to do this is through a concept called insourcing.

What is insourcing?

Similar to outsourcing, insourcing would see the hospital ask an external provider to get an activity, contract or job completed on their behalf using their own people and equipment. The difference with insourcing is that the external company would bring their own people and equipment to the hospital and manage everything on the hospital’s own site.

This is a growing concept and one which we can reasonably expect to see taking a strong foothold in the NHS in 2021 as it struggles to bring down the growing waiting lists.

What does the growth of NHS insourcing mean for businesses?

The growth of insourcing by the NHS is likely to present some tender opportunities for private companies or medical professionals in the healthcare industry.

The types of services that hospitals are looking to secure support with could include:

  • NHS inpatient and outpatient (including full supporting pathology and imaging) services and urgent elective care and cancer treatment to service users in line with nationally set criteria; and
  • NHS inpatient non-elective care (either direct admission or transfer from an NHS organisation).

Forward-thinking businesses in the health sector have already identified insourcing as a growing area. For example, UK and Ireland healthcare service provider, Totally, launched its new insourcing venture, Totally Healthcare, in October. It said it was starting the venture primarily to reduce NHS waiting times by providing a range of procedures and services within NHS hospitals, taking advantage of spare capacity typically during weekends and bank holidays. A few weeks ago, it revealed its insourcing services have secured significant contracts across its target markets and it now classes itself as ‘key partners’ to the NHS.

Who does the NHS want to work with?

NHS Commissioners are open to working with private providers of all sizes, for a wide range of clinical activities across the country. There are national frameworks like NHS SBS aimed at all size organisations and locations, alternatively we have seen individual NHS Trusts selecting exclusive providers to meet their local requirements.

All indications are that we will see insourcing playing a greater role in the immediate future of the NHS as part of its efforts to bring waiting lists down.

If you need help with commercial bid writing, get in touch with K Low Consulting today to see how we can assist you.

Contact info@klowconsulting.com or give us a call on 0330 133 1041.

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K Low Consulting enters exciting new partnership

Here at K Low Consulting we are always striving to go the extra mile for our clients which is why we have just entered into an exciting new partnership!

We have joined forces with All About Quality! – an incredible team of trained auditors who have a passion for business improvement.

The consultancy practice is led by founder Ellen Willoughby, who has more than 20 years’ experience of working in the industry. Ellen’s brilliant team helps clients to integrate standards into their businesses successfully, enabling companies to implement improvement projects.

Krisja first met Ellen a decade ago through networking and they have remained in contact ever since. After running his own business for a while, Krisja began to find that some clients required ISO accreditation to submit high quality scoring bids for tenders and they didn’t have access to any specific or reliable providers. He immediately thought of Ellen because he knew she was completely trustworthy and a very safe pair of hands.

Over the years Krisja had seen the high standard of content she produces and was impressed with the feedback and testimonials Ellen received from clients.

Krisja and Ellen also share a common commitment to delivering high standards of customer service and are both keen to ensure that their clients are serious when it comes to embedding best practice standards throughout their businesses. They don’t want clients to see these standards as just a badge – they want them to have these standards running throughout the heart of their organisations to improve their businesses.

Ellen and her team can help our clients to implement and obtain ISO accreditation in many different areas, including Quality Management, Information Security Management, Business Continuity Management, Environmental Management and Health & Safety Management. This will enable our clients to demonstrate their commitment to quality to both commissioners and customers when they are bidding to win public sector contracts.

The reason this is so important is that commitment to quality is a principle that every commissioner and customer expects to see in high quality bids from professional, competent public sector providers. Providers need to be able to clearly show they have built in processes and practices into their operations which consistently check, standardise and improve what they deliver

To demonstrate how relevant this is, we can tell you that we have seen tenders where 80% of the scoring questions – that make up the overall quality score – have been focussed on quality management or related areas. As a result, rigorous, evidence-driven Quality Assurance needs to be a fundamental consideration of any service offer if clients want to achieve high quality scores.

With the support of All About Quality! our clients will be able to demonstrate that they have these processes and practices in place – putting them well ahead of other competitors bidding for the same contracts.

If you need help with commercial bid writing, get in touch today to see how we can assist you. Contact info@klowconsulting.com or give us a call on 0330 133 1041.

For more information, or to contact us about accreditation, visit https://klowconsulting.com/quality-assurance-in-bids/