Independent panel upholds decision to award out-of-hours GP contract

An independent panel has affirmed NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin's (NHS STW) decision to award the county's out-of-hours GP service contract to Wiltshire-based Medvivo, bringing an end to Shropdoc's 28-year tenure.

The ruling follows a period of scrutiny and representations from Shropdoc, the not-for-profit company that has run the service since 1996.

The independent patient choice and procurement panel's review, published this week, concluded that NHS STW's integrated care board (ICB) acted in accordance with regulations when selecting Medvivo. The panel has advised the ICB to proceed with the proposed contract award.

The contract, with an estimated value of approximately £36 million (excluding VAT) over an initial three-year term with an option for a two-year extension, was subject to a bidding process that saw six companies submit proposals. According to the panel's report, Medvivo's bid scored 86.85%, significantly higher than Shropdoc's 68.52%, which ranked fifth.

Shropdoc, staffed by local doctors and deeply embedded in the community, expressed its inability to comment due to an ongoing "legal standstill period." The decision has been met with dismay by some local healthcare campaigners.

Gill George from Shropshire Defend Our NHS voiced her "devastation," stating:

“Sadly, health leaders at our ICB do not seem to have consistently shown the integrity and honesty that the public deserves. There is hard evidence that this is about cutting costs; hard evidence that they had a choice about going out to competitive tender or making a direct award to Shropdoc; and actually simple commonsense shows that services will suffer as a result of cuts on this scale.

"Does it matter? Well, yes. These are by definition services for people with urgent health needs and for people reaching the end of their lives. Shropdoc’s care has met our needs well for the last 30 years. If Medvivo in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin looks anything like Medvivo in the South West, then we’re in real trouble.

"Health bosses need to know that this isn’t a victory for them. We believe that people will be harmed and people will die as a direct result of Shropdoc being ditched. NHS bosses are gambling with our health and our lives now. They need to know that we WILL be watching them, and we WILL hold them to account. And a quick final thought: where on earth have our MPs been while their constituents have been fighting to keep decent health care? It feels as though they’ve been hiding. That’s very, very poor. Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Defend Our NHS will continue to advocate for an NHS that delivers high-quality care and that puts patients ahead of profits. It would be nice to have our MPs on board.”

NHS STW launched a public consultation in August last year, gathering nearly 600 survey responses to inform the procurement process. While acknowledging the shift, NHS STW has reiterated its commitment to minimizing disruption for patients if the contract transitions to a new provider. They have confirmed there will be no change to the palliative care line and home visits will remain available.

In a brief statement, Shropdoc acknowledged the publication of the "outcome of the procurement process and the associated report relating to the GP Out of Hours (GPOOH) service."

Medvivo, based in the south-west of England, specialises in integrated urgent care and associated services. The company joined HealthHero in 2020 as its NHS service provider.

The new contract was initially slated to begin on Tuesday of this week, though the "legal standstill period" may impact the precise commencement date. NHS STW emphasised its dedication to delivering a "high-quality, value-for-money out-of-hours service" going forward.