Legal challenge issued after out-of-hours firm loses bids

Northern Doctors Urgent Care has issued a challenge to the process followed by clinical commissioning groups in selecting out-of-hours providers in the North of Tyne area.

The services across the region have been provided by Northern Doctors Urgent Care, a not-for-profit social enterprise, for the past nine years.

The work was divided into three separate lots, Northumberland, North Tyneside and Newcastle by the CCGs: Newcastle North and East, Newcastle West, North Tyneside and Northumberland.

The process saw Northern Doctors Urgent Care emerge as the recommended bidder for the North Tyneside lot but not the other two.

HSJ understands North East Ambulance Service Foundation Trust was the recommended bidder for Northumberland while a joint bid from Gateshead Community-based Care Limited and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals Foundation Trust was recommended for Newcastle.

The grounds for Northern Doctors Urgent Care’s legal challenge are unknown. Although the CCGs would not confirm the length or value of the contracts, HSJ understands each of the three contracts is worth approximately £3m and runs for four years.

Northern Doctors Urgent Care declined to comment.

A spokeswoman for the CCGs said: “The procurement process has involved a thorough and robust assessment of bids, including both written and face to face evaluation, across a broad range of criteria and is fully compliant with the relevant procurement legislation.

“As commissioners, we are now urgently considering the challenge.”

Northern Doctors Urgent Care is part of the Vocare group, which includes companies providing GP training and social care, as well as community interest companies running GP practices across Teesside, Newcastle and Northumberland.

Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals Foundation Trust chief executive Sir Leonard Fenwick last month confirmed to HSJ his trust was considering the move.

He said: “Our ambition is to further address the model of vertical integration, and there is widespread discussion in Tyneside.

“As time goes by I foresee the city of Newcastle’s primary, secondary, community specialist and super-specialist [care] under one umbrella. People are looking for a common pathway and cohesion - a national health service.”