CCS and NHS England celebrate first year of construction partnership

Background

In spring 2022 Crown Commercial Service (CCS) partnered with NHS England on a new construction agreement. The Construction Works and Associated Services 2 / ProCure23 agreement recognises the importance of public sector construction to support economic recovery, providing health bodies in England with a new way to buy construction works and associated services. 

Where we are now

After 12 months of partnership we are pleased to announce that 17 projects have been formally awarded, totalling almost £708 million. In addition, there are currently 27 projects in the pipeline totalling a further £780 million.

Projects that have been awarded through this agreement include:

• Countess of Chester Hospital – a new build project for the Women and Children’s Department 
• University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust – a new Clinical Diagnostic Centre
• Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust – a new Elective Theatres Project

John Welch, Deputy Director for Construction at CCS said:

‘I’m pleased that we’ve been able to collaborate successfully with our partners at NHS England over the last 12 months as we help to support trusts with their capital programmes. This shows the benefits of engaging with CCS, adding greater value for the public sector and helping NHS England deliver the projects the public need. We look forward to this continued partnership and providing savings for our customers and the public.’

Simon Corben, Director of Estates and Facilities and Head of Profession at NHS England, said:

“It’s been a successful first year of the collaboration between NHS England and CCS to provide a tried-and-tested route to market for NHS capital projects through ProCure23. Together, we are making it easier to increase our estate’s capacity through new builds, address backlog maintenance, and reconfigure spaces to better meet the health and care needs of our local communities. With lots in the pipeline, I look forward to seeing the benefits we can deliver in terms of a fit for purpose estate and excellent patient care.”

What our customers have to say

Marc Johnson, Senior Buyer, Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 

‘The agreement was easy to use with templates and instructions available, advisors were also always available to support’

The agreement

Launched in March 2022, the agreement gives local trusts access to suppliers who can help them to increase their estate’s capacity through new builds, addressing backlog maintenance and reconfiguring spaces to better meet the health and care needs of their local communities. 

Lots 1-3 are specifically for healthcare projects in England, while lots 4 and 5 are available to all public sector bodies in the UK. 

The agreement runs alongside our existing Construction Works and Associated Services agreement which helps support a wide range of major and minor building and civil engineering projects of all values for the public sector, helping our customers build everything from new schools and hospitals to prisons and houses. 

Since the partnership began, over 40 NHS trusts have registered to use the agreement. These trusts have also become CCS Alliance members, gaining access to a range of benefits including:

• access to capped prices through our construction agreements
• a robust pool of approved suppliers 
• a library of guidance materials
• procurement document templates and examples
• access to customer forums to share best practice

Let us bring power to your procurement

To find out more about our Construction Works and Associated Services 2 / Procure23 agreement, please visit our framework page. To speak to a member of our expert team, please complete our online form or call us on: 0345 410 2222.

You can also visit our construction webpage to learn more about our complete construction offering and check out our handy resources; from webinars, podcasts, to interactive guides – we’ve got you covered.