ENT Outsourcing

University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN), through Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust, is seeking a provider to deliver a full consultant-led ENT service supporting elective capacity across Northamptonshire.

The £3 million opportunity is intended to increase access to ENT services, reduce long Referral to Treatment (RTT) waits and provide additional resilient elective capacity while maintaining patient safety, quality and experience.

The appointed provider will be responsible for delivering complete ENT RTT pathways for patients transferred through the Inter-Provider Transfer (IPT) process.

Service Requirements

The provider will deliver a full consultant-led ENT RTT pathway on behalf of UHN, covering patients transferred or referred under the contract.

The service will encompass:

• Referral management
• Diagnostics
• Outpatient activity
• Elective procedures
• Day case procedures
• Post-operative follow-up
• Patient discharge
• RTT administration
• RTT clock management

UHN requires the service to provide an integrated, safe, high-quality and patient-centred pathway.

The commissioned provision is also intended to support patient choice by ensuring service users can access a provider suited to their individual needs at the point of referral.

The successful organisation will be fully accountable for RTT performance for all patients transferred or referred under the contract.

Services will be commissioned jointly by Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust under the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire banner.

The provider will be accountable to the UHN Chief Operating Officer through the respective Head of Operations or nominated deputy.

Contract Information

Buyer: Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust

Deadline: 30 September 2026, 1:00pm

Contract Value: £3,000,000 excluding VAT (£3,600,000 including VAT)

Delivery Length: 3 years, with the option for two further 12-month extensions

Tender Link: Atamis procurement portal

The contract is expected to commence on 1 November 2026 and initially run until 31 October 2029.

Two optional 12-month extensions could extend the agreement until 31 October 2031, providing a maximum potential contract period of five years.

The supplier enquiry deadline is 17 September 2026 at 12:00pm, with an estimated award decision date of 22 October 2026.

Evaluation Criteria

Tenders will be evaluated using the following criteria:

• Technical and Quality Requirements – 60%
• Price – 30%
• Social Value Requirements – 10%

The procurement is being conducted through an Open Procedure.

Clinical and Service Requirements

The commissioned service is expected to support UHN in improving access and eliminating long ENT RTT waits while providing additional elective capacity.

Delivery must maintain safety, quality and patient experience in line with NHS and Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) guidance.

The provider will assume responsibility for the full pathway rather than individual elements of ENT activity, including the administration and management of RTT requirements for transferred patients.

Regulatory and Compliance Requirements

Further technical, quality, supplier information, pricing and social value requirements are contained within the associated tender documentation.

The opportunity represents a substantial contract for independent or external healthcare providers capable of delivering complete consultant-led ENT pathways. With UHN seeking additional capacity to improve access and tackle long RTT waits, the contract places particular emphasis on integrated pathway management, clinical quality and provider accountability for patient outcomes and waiting-time performance.

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