Specialist Medicines Service
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board · NHS and health
In brief
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board awarded healthcare work to West Bergholt Pharmacy, Wickham Market Pharmacy and Mill Pharmacy and 13 others on 1 November 2025.
It is split into 3 lots, so a supplier can bid for part of the work.
Built from the notice's own fields. Always check the official notice before you bid.
What the notice says
The service aims to support the responsive and effective supply of essential medication for Palliative and End of Life Care (PEoLC) and the treatment of Clostridioides difficile (also known as Clostridium difficile, C. difficile or C. diff). This is a type of bacteria that can cause diarrhoea. The demand for palliative care treatments and the relevant antibiotics, vancomycin or fidaxomicin, may be urgent and/or unpredictable. The service will operate during all normal opening hours for the community pharmacy and/or any locally commissioned extended hours e.g., Public/Bank holiday rota. The pharmacy contractor(s) (provider) will stock minimum stock levels of a locally agreed list of drugs…Read the full description
Lots
| Lot | Trade | Value |
|---|---|---|
Provision for North East Essex AllianceWhat this lot coversThe aim of this service is to ensure the availability of medication used for palliative and end of life care and the treatment of c.difficile across Suffolk and North East Essex, the demand for which may be urgent and/or unpredictable. The service is designed to improve access to these medicines for patients, carers and healthcare professionals when they are required, in order to ensure that there is no delay to treatment whilst also providing choice. This service aims to ensure the provision of medication for Palliative and End of Life Care (PEoLC) and the treatment of c.difficile at all times whilst the pharmacy is open, from selected commissioned pharmacies within Suffolk and North East Essex. The service will operate during all normal opening hours for the community pharmacy and/or any locally commissioned extended hours e.g., Public/Bank holiday rota. The pharmacy contractor (provider) will stock minimum stock levels of a locally agreed list of drugs and will make a commitment to ensure those users of this service have prompt access to these medicines. SNEE Integrated Care Board (ICB) may review the medication list and amend in accordance with advice and guidance which the provider must order, if not stocked, with immediate effect. Providers will be formally notified in writing by the ICB. If items are to be removed from the list, the ICB will continue to honour the date expiry compensation for that product whilst the contract is in place. The ICB will not be liable to provide funding for expired stock if ordered above the agreed minimum quantities. NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board are awarding the contract named within this notice under the Direct Award C process which is outlined within the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The provider named in this notice is an existing provider and has been reviewed through a Key Criteria assessment to ensure the awarding body is satisfied with current performance and reasonably expects the provider to be able to satisfy the contract which is the subject of this notice. The contract which is the subject of this notice has not changed considerably when compared with the existing / previous contract delivered by the named provider. The ICB may wish to introduce additional services during the lifetime of the contract ("Contract modifications"). Such contract modifications will be contemplated where additional requirements are similar and or complementary to the services already included in the Specification, at any given time. Such expansion would be by the addition of services commissioned by the Authority as named in the Contract Notice. To this end, after the award of contract, there is a possibility that the contract may be varied as allowable in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. | Healthcare services | — |
Provision for Ipswich and East Suffolk Alliance areaWhat this lot coversThe aim of this service is to ensure the availability of medication used for palliative and end of life care and the treatment of c.difficile across Suffolk and North East Essex, the demand for which may be urgent and/or unpredictable. The service is designed to improve access to these medicines for patients, carers and healthcare professionals when they are required, in order to ensure that there is no delay to treatment whilst also providing choice. This service aims to ensure the provision of medication for Palliative and End of Life Care (PEoLC) and the treatment of c.difficile at all times whilst the pharmacy is open, from selected commissioned pharmacies within Suffolk and North East Essex. The service will operate during all normal opening hours for the community pharmacy and/or any locally commissioned extended hours e.g., Public/Bank holiday rota. The pharmacy contractor (provider) will stock minimum stock levels of a locally agreed list of drugs and will make a commitment to ensure those users of this service have prompt access to these medicines. SNEE Integrated Care Board (ICB) may review the medication list and amend in accordance with advice and guidance which the provider must order, if not stocked, with immediate effect. Providers will be formally notified in writing by the ICB. If items are to be removed from the list, the ICB will continue to honour the date expiry compensation for that product whilst the contract is in place. The ICB will not be liable to provide funding for expired stock if ordered above the agreed minimum quantities. NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board are awarding the contract named within this notice under the Direct Award C process which is outlined within the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The provider named in this notice is an existing provider and has been reviewed through a Key Criteria assessment to ensure the awarding body is satisfied with current performance and reasonably expects the provider to be able to satisfy the contract which is the subject of this notice. The contract which is the subject of this notice has not changed considerably when compared with the existing / previous contract delivered by the named provider. The ICB may wish to introduce additional services during the lifetime of the contract ("Contract modifications"). Such contract modifications will be contemplated where additional requirements are similar and or complementary to the services already included in the Specification, at any given time. Such expansion would be by the addition of services commissioned by the Authority as named in the Contract Notice. To this end, after the award of contract, there is a possibility that the contract may be varied as allowable in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. | Healthcare services | — |
Provision for West Suffolk Alliance areaWhat this lot coversThe aim of this service is to ensure the availability of medication used for palliative and end of life care and the treatment of c.difficile across Suffolk and North East Essex, the demand for which may be urgent and/or unpredictable. The service is designed to improve access to these medicines for patients, carers and healthcare professionals when they are required, in order to ensure that there is no delay to treatment whilst also providing choice. This service aims to ensure the provision of medication for Palliative and End of Life Care (PEoLC) and the treatment of c.difficile at all times whilst the pharmacy is open, from selected commissioned pharmacies within Suffolk and North East Essex. The service will operate during all normal opening hours for the community pharmacy and/or any locally commissioned extended hours e.g., Public/Bank holiday rota. The pharmacy contractor (provider) will stock minimum stock levels of a locally agreed list of drugs and will make a commitment to ensure those users of this service have prompt access to these medicines. SNEE Integrated Care Board (ICB) may review the medication list and amend in accordance with advice and guidance which the provider must order, if not stocked, with immediate effect. Providers will be formally notified in writing by the ICB. If items are to be removed from the list, the ICB will continue to honour the date expiry compensation for that product whilst the contract is in place. The ICB will not be liable to provide funding for expired stock if ordered above the agreed minimum quantities. NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board are awarding the contract named within this notice under the Direct Award C process which is outlined within the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The provider named in this notice is an existing provider and has been reviewed through a Key Criteria assessment to ensure the awarding body is satisfied with current performance and reasonably expects the provider to be able to satisfy the contract which is the subject of this notice. The contract which is the subject of this notice has not changed considerably when compared with the existing / previous contract delivered by the named provider. The ICB may wish to introduce additional services during the lifetime of the contract ("Contract modifications"). Such contract modifications will be contemplated where additional requirements are similar and or complementary to the services already included in the Specification, at any given time. Such expansion would be by the addition of services commissioned by the Authority as named in the Contract Notice. To this end, after the award of contract, there is a possibility that the contract may be varied as allowable in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. | Healthcare services | — |
Who won
| Winner | Lot | Value | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Bergholt Pharmacy (SME) | Provision for North East Essex Alliance | £1,900 | |
| Wickham Market Pharmacy (SME) | Provision for Ipswich and East Suffolk Alliance area | £2,244 | |
| Mill Pharmacy (SME) | Provision for Ipswich and East Suffolk Alliance area | £4,144 | |
| Boots Pharmacy | Provision for Ipswich and East Suffolk Alliance area | £4,144 | |
| Tesco Pharmacy | Provision for West Suffolk Alliance area | £2,244 | |
| Station Pharmacy (SME) | Provision for West Suffolk Alliance area | £2,244 | |
| Lords Pharmacy (SME) | Provision for West Suffolk Alliance area | £2,244 | |
| Boots Pharmacy | Provision for West Suffolk Alliance area | £4,144 | |
| Croasdales Pharmacy (SME) | Provision for West Suffolk Alliance area | £2,244 | |
| Boots Pharmacy | Provision for West Suffolk Alliance area | £2,244 | |
| Marks Tey Pharmacy (SME) | Provision for North East Essex Alliance | £2,129 | |
| Asda Pharmacy | Provision for North East Essex Alliance | £4,029 | |
| Oakley Pharmacy (SME) | Provision for North East Essex Alliance | £2,129 | |
| Island Pharmacy (SME) | Provision for North East Essex Alliance | £2,129 | |
| Holland Pharmacy (SME) | Provision for North East Essex Alliance | £4,029 | |
| Woodbridge Pharmacy (SME) | Provision for Ipswich and East Suffolk Alliance area | £2,244 | |
| Aldeburgh Pharmacy (SME) | Provision for Ipswich and East Suffolk Alliance area | £2,244 | |
| Walton Pharmacy (SME) | Provision for Ipswich and East Suffolk Alliance area | £2,244 |
Values as the award notice gives them, excluding VAT where stated.
Timeline
- Contract award notice · notice 070921-2025
About the buyer
Procurements
45Awards
24Suppliers it has used most for healthcare
- Suffolk County Council2 contracts
- Ace (Anglia) Ltd1 contract
- Aldeburgh Pharmacy1 contract
- Asda Pharmacy1 contract
- Big Picture Medical Ltd1 contract
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From notice 070921-2025 on Find a Tender, first published 4 November 2025. We last checked for changes on 27 September 2026.