Description
Stage One - Information Request
Introduction
NHS England is seeking to establish a registry of suppliers that meet the uplifted Capabilities and Standards for Digital Pathway (DP) Solutions ("DP Solution Registry") in Primary Care settings.
For the purpose of this Market Engagement advert, NHS England is the lead authority (subject to potential future change). The NHS England National Commercial and Procurement Hub (Hub) is issuing this Market Engagement notice on behalf of NHS England.
The GP Contract mandates the use of Digital Pathway tools by NHS systems. The GPIT Operating Model v.6 mandates the use of the NHS England National Commercial and Procurement Hub for buying these tools.
The link below provides the published NHS England Digital Pathways tools guidance for 2026/27.
Digital pathways tools guidance 2026/27 - https://digital.nhs.uk/services/digital-services-for-integrated-care/digital-pathways-framework/digital-pathways-tools-guidance-and-next-steps-for-2026-27
The Registry will not be a procurement vehicle but a list of suppliers who have self-certified against the uplifted national requirements. The purpose is to use the Registry as a mechanism to support and inform NHS Buyers so they can develop their strategy to buy.
Engagement with the market will be conducted in two stages. The first stage ("Stage One: Information request") will include the following: -
• Instructions and deadline for submitting information.
• A link to an MS Forms to access a supplier response form.
• Engagement opportunity via a market engagement 1:1 session with the Hub
• Instructions for booking a 1:1 session.
• Access to a document which presents the uplifted Capabilities
Please note that Stage One of Market Engagement is open from the 24th of June 2026 and will close midday on the 10th of July 2026. The product of this will inform the next steps in the creation of the DP Solution Registry. This stage will not act as a pre-qualification mechanism but an information gathering exercise.
An overview of Digital Pathway Solutions
The GP Contract requires practices to provide a number of patient online services requiring digital tools for which the GP IT Operating Model mandates the standards, sources and funding arrangements. Where these are not met directly through NHS App functions the ICB will procure and provide the practice with the relevant Digital Pathways Tools.
The GPIT Operating Model sets out NHSE's responsibility to provide a safe, secure, resilient and value for money procurement route to support systems.
Digital Pathway Tools, (Online Consultations, Care Navigation and Demand and Capacity Planning) can help practices to effectively monitor, triage and prioritise patient demand and better utilise their resources.
These solutions can support practices to:
• assess patient needs from initial online contact.
• support patient triage and prioritisation.
• navigate patients to the appropriate point of care using clinical and operational rules.
• enable patient interactions with their practice, for example, Fit Note request
• collect structured information, for example, via a survey.
The NHS 10-year plan is explicit that:
• Demand in the system is rising due to ageing population and increasing complexity.
• Current models are unsustainable and already failing to meet access expectations (e.g. difficulty getting GP appointments.
The implication being that traditional capacity growth (more appointments, more staff) alone will not keep pace with demand and more effective ways of monitoring, prioritising and navigating demand and effective capacity planning is needed.
Digital pathways tools can be delivered via a single solution or through a modular set of solutions. They are required to integrate with electronic patient records and national services.
Registry Benefits
The aim is to create and develop a supplier registry for DP Solutions with an accompanying resource library that will be shared with NHS systems to better inform buying authorities when undertaking local procurements.
Local procurements will be undertaken by the NHS systems (ICB, PCN, GP Practice) themselves and in accordance with their own governance and due diligence requirements.
The Hub is mandated to support primary care systems with their local procurements and will use the Registry and the uplifted Capabilities and Standards as an anchor in their open market tendering. The GP Contract mandates the use of Digital Pathway tools by NHS systems. The GPIT Operating Model v.6 mandates the use of the NHS England National Commercial and Procurement Hub for buying these tools.
The DP Solution Registry will be operationalised as a central platform where DP Suppliers will self-declare against the uplifted NHSE Capabilities and Standards. It is not a procurement mechanism but a strategic enabler that:
• Lists successful DP solutions that have submitted evidence of self-certification against the NHSE uplifted Capabilities and Standards.
• Supports procurement and planning by surfacing suppliers that meet uplifted Capabilities and Standards.
• Encourages transparency around safety, data handling, and performance.
• Enables monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.
• Facilitates cross-system learning and reduces duplication across ICBs, PCNs and GP Practices
• Sets conditions of participation for use in subsequent contracts and supplier behavioural expectations.
For reference, the Capabilities are segmented into the below categories: -
• Care Navigation
• Online Patient Consultation
• Online Patient Request
• Online Consultations and Requests Reporting
• Video Consultation
• Demand and Capacity Planning
A document is available within Atamis which provides further detail on the national requirements behind each Capability where uplifted. Standards will be shared at a later date.
This preliminary Market Engagement is being conducted in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023.
This stage one information request is a Market Engagement exercise to aid the understanding of market capability and ready the market for stage two.
Stage two is the establishment of the creation of a Supplier Registry for Digital Pathways Solutions in the Primary Care Setting.
Please note, Stage two will be subject to a separate notice.