Six construction teams have been chosen for the new Procure 21+ framework, health minister Simon Burns has announced.
The new arrangement, which will run for six years and is worth an estimated £4bn, replaces the existing Procure 21 framework which dates back to 2003.
Some 11 bidders submitted tenders to the Department of Health (DoH), and six were chosen to be Principal Supply Chain Partners (PSCPs):
- Balfour Beatty
- Healthcare Partnership Solutions, led by Miller
- Integrated Health Projects, led by Vinci and Sir Robert McAlpine
- Interserve Project Services
- Kier Regional
- Willmott Dixon
The old Procure 21 arrangement featured eight PSCPs, meaning that Laing O'Rourke and Bam Construction did not win places on the new framework.
Procure 21+ will be a more transparent system, according to the DoH, where detailed data on performance outcomes will be provided by each company and published online, so that the NHS can make informed choices about the companies they employ.
Burns said: "The benefits of Procure 21+ are clear – a streamlined system will mean that NHS organisations will be able to concentrate on delivering patient care and improving outcomes.
"The new system will cut bureaucratic waste and allow the NHS to reinvest savings directly into services for patients.
"Hospital refurbishments under this system will be quicker and more cost effective, ensuring that patients receive their treatment in a clean, safe and efficient environment – as they would expect."
NHS Trusts which use the selected construction teams do not need to go through the complex European Union procurement process.
Under the new framework, work can start on projects within six weeks, saving the NHS at least six months in the pre-construction period.
The appointments will take effect when the new framework commences on 1 October 2010 and will run for a six-year period.
The DoH claims the new Procure 21+ framework will save the NHS over £200m over the lifetime of the framework.
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