NHS Arden & Greater East Midlands (GEM) Commissioning Support Unit has been appointed to provide a range of commissioning support services on behalf of five Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) across Norfolk and Waveney. The contract will start on 1 April 2018.
The decision to appoint NHS Arden & GEM was the result of a competitive tender process, delivered via the NHS England Lead Provider Framework (LPF), conducted by North Norfolk, South Norfolk, West Norfolk, Great Yarmouth and Waveney, and Norwich CCGs. The contract, worth £32 million over a four year period, will cover key services to support the five CCGs, who serve a total population in excess of 1 million.
The appointment was based on the CSU’s successful track record in developing strategic partnerships that enable collaborative working and approaches. The service provision will fall into two areas: end to end commissioning support including business intelligence, procurement and provider management, finance, human resources, information governance and freedom of information; and information technology support including GP and corporate IT.
“We are delighted to have secured this opportunity to work alongside Norfolk and Waveney CCGs. Our team is looking forward to working with the CCGs and our aim will be to ‘add value’ by providing high quality, flexible and responsive commissioning support services’’.
John Parkes, Managing Director at NHS Arden & GEM CSU
The mobilisation and management of the service will be overseen by a dedicated regional director with extensive NHS leadership experience. The service will be fully operational from April 2018.
The current provider of services, North East London (NEL) Commissioning Support Unit, will be working closely with Arden & GEM to ensure a smooth transition, for both CCGs and affected staff.