AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has awarded and signed a contract with SPIRE HEALTHCARE LIMITED for outsourced NHS orthopaedic patient activity. The contract is intended to provide additional elective capacity and support waiting-list reduction.
Published outcomeA single-supplier, single-lot contract was signed on 9 October 2026, with delivery scheduled from 19 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Market significanceThe £850,000 contract directs elective orthopaedic capacity to an independent-sector provider in the UKH2 region under a procedure without prior publication of a call for competition.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
2 supplier records analysed
SPIRE HEALTHCARE LIMITED
99% confidenceAward 096988-2026-BHFT_Spire-1 · Lots 1 · 850000 GBP · active
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The active contract links award 096988-2026-BHFT_Spire-1 to supplier Spire Healthcare Limited and states a total contract value of £850,000. Supplier identity was verified by Companies House number 01522532.
SPIRE HEALTHCARE LIMITED
87% confidenceAward 090375-2026-1 · Lots 1 · Unknown Unknown · active
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The supplied award-level data lists active award 090375-2026-1 and verified supplier SPIRE HEALTHCARE LIMITED, but provides no award value or linked contract record for this award ID.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice lifecycle
98% confidenceAward and contract update
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The process is displayed as awarded and the latest release is tagged "awardUpdate, contractUpdate" dated 14 October 2026.
Award status
99% confidenceActive
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Award 096988-2026-BHFT_Spire-1 has status "active".
Contract status
99% confidenceActive
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Contract 096988-2026-BHFT_Spire-1 has status "active".
Contract signature
99% confidenceSigned 9 October 2026
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The contract record gives dateSigned as 2026-10-09.
Scheduled service period
99% confidence19 October 2026 to 31 March 2027
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The contract period and lot contractPeriod both specify these dates.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value
99% confidence£850,000
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Contract 096988-2026-BHFT_Spire-1 specifies value amount 850000 and currency GBP.
Value allocation
98% confidenceAllocated to the signed contract for lot 1
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The £850,000 contract is linked to award 096988-2026-BHFT_Spire-1, which relates to lot 1 and names one supplier.
Other active award value
99% confidenceUnknown
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Award 090375-2026-1 has null value amount and currency in the supplied award data.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Initial award and contract notice
98% confidence24 September 2026
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Release 090375-2026 is dated 2026-09-24 and tagged award and contract.
Contract signed
99% confidence9 October 2026
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The signed-contract field dateSigned is 2026-10-09.
Award and contract update published
98% confidence14 October 2026
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Release 096988-2026 is dated 2026-10-14 and tagged awardUpdate and contractUpdate.
Scheduled contract start
99% confidence19 October 2026
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The contract period startDate is 2026-10-19.
Scheduled contract end
99% confidence31 March 2027
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The contract period endDate is 2027-03-31.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Service category
99% confidenceOrthopaedic services
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The primary CPV classification is 85121283, Orthopaedic services.
Lot scope
99% confidenceOutsourcing of NHS patient activity to an independent sector provider
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Lot 1 description states this scope.
Operational purpose
99% confidenceTransfer NHS patients to an independent-sector provider for treatment on its premises
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The process description says BHFT is transferring NHS patients to Spire for treatment on its premises.
Delivery region
98% confidenceUKH2
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The contract item delivery address specifies region UKH2.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procurement method
99% confidenceLimited
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The process field procurement_method is "limited".
Procedure detail
99% confidenceAward procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
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The process procurement_method_details states this wording.
Stated rationale for the arrangement
94% confidenceUrgent additional elective capacity, with the provider described as able to mobilise quickly
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The amendment rationale says additional elective capacity is urgently required and describes an established service model that can be mobilised quickly.
Competition information
99% confidenceUnknown
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Information on bidders, bids received, evaluation scores and ranking was not supplied in the published notice data.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Contract term
99% confidence19 October 2026 to 31 March 2027
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The contract period startDate and endDate are 2026-10-19 and 2027-03-31.
Contract value
99% confidence£850,000
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The contract value is recorded as 850000 GBP.
Extension or renewal terms
99% confidenceUnknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice data.
Modification information
94% confidenceThe contract record includes amendment 1, but no separate amendment date or revised value is supplied
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The contract amendments array contains amendment id 1 with rationale and scope text, but no amendment date or value fields.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Demand signal
94% confidenceShort-term additional elective orthopaedic capacity
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The published rationale describes an urgent need for additional elective capacity, while the signed term runs to 31 March 2027.
Route-to-market signal
99% confidenceDirect/limited route used without prior call for competition
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The notice identifies a limited procedure and an award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition.
Published supplier capability factors
92% confidenceQuality assurance, patient safety, clinical oversight, performance monitoring and rapid mobilisation are cited
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The amendment rationale describes these provider attributes. This is the buyer's stated rationale, not published comparative evaluation evidence.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Duplicate or ambiguous award references
98% confidenceTwo active award IDs are supplied for the same lot and verified supplier
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Award IDs 090375-2026-1 and 096988-2026-BHFT_Spire-1 are both active and relate to lot 1; only the latter is explicitly linked to the £850,000 signed contract.
Unallocated award value
99% confidenceThe value for award 090375-2026-1 is unknown
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Its award-level value amount and currency are null, and no contract record linked to that ID is supplied.
Supplier identity quality
99% confidenceVerified
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Both supplied supplier records were matched by company number 01522532 to SPIRE HEALTHCARE LIMITED.
Award date quality
99% confidenceAward dates are not supplied
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Both award records have null award_date fields.
Amendment detail quality
98% confidenceAmendment rationale is published, but amendment timing and financial effect are unknown
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The amendment contains narrative rationale only; no date, revised value or change amount is provided.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- Two active award IDs are provided for lot 1 and the same verified supplier. The £850,000 value and signed-contract record are linked only to award 096988-2026-BHFT_Spire-1; no value or contract linkage is supplied for 090375-2026-1.
- Information not supplied in the published notice: award dates, bidder numbers, bid values, evaluation scores, award criteria, pricing breakdown, individual activity volumes, and extension or renewal terms.
- The amendment narrative gives the buyer's rationale but does not supply an amendment date, a prior contract value, a revised value or a quantified change.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustSPIRE HEALTHCARE LIMITEDSpire Healthcareorthopaedic servicesNHS outsourcingelective capacity£850,000 contractUKH2
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the Bedfordshire Hospitals orthopaedic outsourcing contract?
SPIRE HEALTHCARE LIMITED, verified against Companies House number 01522532, is named on the signed £850,000 contract.
What is the contract value?
The contract linked to award 096988-2026-BHFT_Spire-1 is valued at £850,000.
When does the contract run?
The published contract period is scheduled from 19 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Was the contract competitively advertised?
The notice identifies a limited procedure described as an award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition.
ProcuraAxis award analysis supplements, but does not replace, the official award notice, contract data or procurement documents. “Awarded” does not by itself prove that a contract has been signed.