NHS: Contracts

The inclusion of Tackling Economic Inequality as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for NHS England’s NHSmail Collaboration Licensing Platform contract reflects the Government’s Social Value Model, introduced to ensure that public procurement delivers wider economic and social benefits alongside core contractual outcomes. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0620-taking-account-of-social-value-in-the-award-of-central-government-contracts

As for every procurement, NHS England selected the most appropriate Social Value Theme from those set out in the above guidance, based on the subject matter of the contract. In this case, Tackling Economic Inequality was chosen. This theme encompasses measures that promote economic opportunity, support skills and employment, and encourage innovation and productivity across supply chains.

Each Social Value Theme in turn contains detailed Model Award Criteria, and for this contract NHS England applied:

• Innovation and Disruptive Technologies, to support innovation and disruptive technologies throughout the supply chain to deliver lower cost and/or higher quality goods and services; and
• Modernising Delivery and Increasing Productivity, to support the development of scalable and future-proofed new methods to modernise delivery and increase productivity.

The KPI was included to ensure those commitments are monitored transparently. This is consistent with the Government’s requirement to publish KPIs for its most important contracts, as part of strengthening accountability and transparency in public procurement.