Digital Primary Care Open Framework

PLEASE NOTE - This is not a 'call to action' notice and requires no response to the Authority.

This notice is published in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 as a Planned Procurement Notice (UK3). It provides advance notice that NHS England intends to establish an open framework using the competitive flexible procedure for the future procurement of Digital Primary Care General Practice Information Technology (GPIT) solutions, ahead of the publication of a tender notice.

Digital systems are fundamental to the delivery of modern general practice services. NHS England's Digital Services for Integrated Care (DSIC) programme is improving digital products across care settings to support and enable an integrated care system, working with technology suppliers to deliver a choice of commonly assured, intuitive and innovative products and services. This framework will be key to this, as well as supporting commitments in the NHS 10 Year Health Plan (10YHP), national digital strategy, and the GP Contract’s digital requirements.

For the purposes of this procurement, GPIT encompasses the digital solutions (products and services) that support the commissioning, delivery, administration and continuous improvement of general practice. This includes technologies used by clinicians, administrative staff, patients and commissioners to facilitate access to care, care delivery, clinical decision-making, service integration, population health management and operational efficiency.

The technology used in general practice falls into two groups: core digital capabilities needed to deliver care, including the recording, management and access of patient health information (‘Foundation’ Electronic Patient Record solutions); and broader digital capabilities which provide clinical and operational support solutions to complement, extend or enhance the core digital capabilities (sometimes referred to as ‘Non-Foundation’ solutions).

The Authority intends to establish a lotted open framework in accordance with section 49 of the Procurement Act 2023. It is anticipated that the framework will provide a simplified route to market for General Practice Information Technology (GPIT), enabling access to innovative digital solutions whilst securing value for money for the NHS.

The indicative lotting structure is as follows:

• Lot 1: Foundation Electronic Patient Record (EPR) Solutions

• Lot 2: Clinical and Operational Support Solutions

• Lot 3: Research and Development

The above Lots are characterised by the digital capabilities they consist of. For further description of the capabilities listed below, please see the supporting document attached titled ‘Description of Framework Capabilities’.

Further details of the requirements for appointment to the framework will be available in the tender documentation.

Lot 1 (Foundation Solutions) will consist of the following capabilities:

• Appointments Management - GP

• Consultation Management - GP

• Patient Information Maintenance - GP

• Prescribing - GP

• Referral Management - GP

• Resource Management

Lot 2 (Clinical and Operational Support Solutions) will consist of the following capabilities:

• Advice and Guidance (Professional to Professional)

• Care Plans

• Caseload Management

• Clinical Decision Support

• Communication Management

• Cross Organisation Appointment Booking

• Cross Organisation Workforce Management

• Custom Workflows

• Digital Diagnostics

• Digital Dictation

• Dispensing

• Document Management

• Domiciliary Care

• Emergency Alerts

• GP Extracts Verification

• Medical Reports

• Medicines Optimisation

• Population Health Management

• Remote Patient Monitoring

• Reporting

• Risk Stratification

• Scanning

• Self-Service Appointment Check In

• Social Prescribing

• Task Management

• Telecare

• Video Consultation

Lot 3: Research and Development

This lot will offer successful suppliers on Lots 1 and 2 the opportunity to be involved in research and development to aid the authority with developing and proving out new capabilities and standards through discovery to public beta activities, covering key areas required to evolve solutions and support national strategy.

The framework will:

• Permit the appointment of multiple suppliers to each lot;

• Permit the appointment of same suppliers across different lots;

• The framework is expected to reopen at planned intervals during its term; and

• Allow for auto enrolment (unless opted out of) onto Lot 3 for successful suppliers awarded a place on Lot 1 or Lot 2.

Call-off contracts will be run and awarded primarily by (but not limited to) Integrated Care Boards and general practices through mechanisms that may include direct award and competitive flexible procedures in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023. Detailed service models, delivery requirements, and performance expectations will be set out in future tender documentation which will be made available through Find a Tender when the UK4 Tender Notice is published.

Indicative Timeline:

The framework procurement will follow a multi-stage competitive flexible procedure and is intended to be issued in November 2026, subject to final governance approvals that are currently in progress. Framework go-live is expected in Q3 2027. A full procurement timetable will be available in the published tender notice and tender documentation.

Please note: this timetable is indicative and subject to change. The dates set out in the UK4 Tender Notice will take precedence.

Prior Notices

Formal market engagement for this Procurement took place between May and June 2025. Full details of this and materials released in the market engagement will be shared alongside the future tender documentation.

Notice Status and Disclaimer

This Planned Procurement Notice is issued to provide advance market visibility only. It is not a call for competition, an invitation to tender, a request for information, or request for commitment to proceed with a procurement. The information and dates contained in this notice are indicative and subject to change. The Authority reserves the right to amend, revise, or withdraw any aspect of a future procurement in line with service requirements, the Procurement Act 2023, and applicable government policy.

Market participation

The Authority anticipates that the framework will be accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs);

Consortia and subcontracting arrangements are expected to be permitted, subject to conditions of participation.

Suppliers must be registered on the Central Digital Platform.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-act-2023-short-guides/suppliers-how-to-register-your-organisation-and-first-administrator-on-find-a-tender-in-three-easy-steps-html

to enable bid readiness.