NP605223 SMS Smart Messaging Service

Concepts

• short message service (SMS)
• edinburgh
• nhss
• nhs boards
• smart messaging service
• text message
• network services
• sms service
• sms
• nhss health boards

Location

Scotland

Description

The service is currently made available to all NHS Boards and its primary uses are to remind NHS patients via text message to attend clinical appointments and to communicate staff rotas to NHSS employees. NHS Boards collectively sent an average of 4,805,793 fragments per month over the period April 2021 to March 2022. For the corresponding period 2022 / 2023 the average monthly fragment volume increased to 6,870,128.

Total Quantity or Scope

All figures quoted are based on a fragment containing 160 characters. 20 NHSS Health Boards currently rely on the SMS service for various business/clinical purposes. NSS Procurement, Commissioning & Facilities conducted a full procurement to establish a single supplier Agreement for the provision of SMS Services. A mini-competition for the requirement was published via CSS Framework RM6261 Lot2 (Network Services). 8 suppliers are included in this framework but only 1 BT, submitted a bid. This bid was evaluated by the project team and are now seeking approval to renew this contract starting on 15th May 2023. Due to market instability, the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have significantly increased pricing over the past 6 months (all the major UK MNOs are investing in solutions to tackle spam/smishing in order to maintain trust in SMS as a communication channel. The UK MNOs are all focused on closing SIM farms and ensuring the protection of all consumers through activities such as the addition of network firewalls and Spam shields) and as a result this will result in an 11.3% price increase compared to the price paid in the previous 12 months. However, prior to running the mini-competition a PIN was published in October of 2022 and the new price offered by BT (1.79p per fragment) is very competitive when compared to other pricing offered by other suppliers via the PIN. 8 suppliers responded to the PIN including BT. BT also offered the cheapest prices with the closest supplier (Reach Data) at 3% more expensive. Having been offered a final price by BT the recommendation is to award a 3-year contract.

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 64212100 - Short Message Service (SMS) services

Legal Justification

A mini-competition for the requirement was published via CCS Framework RM6261 Lot2 (Network Services). 8 suppliers are included in this framework but only 1 BT, submitted a bid.

Other Information

** PREVIEW NOTICE, please check Find a Tender for full details. ** The Common Services Agency (more commonly known as National Services Scotland) (‘the Authority’) acting through its division National Procurement, is undertaking this procurement of Smart Messaging Services on behalf of all entities constituted pursuant to the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978, (i.e. all NHS Scotland Health Boards, Special Health Boards and the Authority or other NHS Organisation established pursuant to the NHS (Scotland) Act 1978), any integrated Joint Boards established pursuant to the new Public Bodies (Joint Working) Scotland Act 2014 (collectively hereafter referred to as ‘Participating Authorities’), where applicable, i.e. Scottish Hospices, Northern Irelands trusts etc.. The estimated values referred to in Section II.I.5 and II.2.6 covers the 36 months contract duration of the framework agreement. (SC Ref:735754)