LLR ICB award contract to Inclusion Healthcare to serve vulnerable patient groups  

Health services for some of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland’s most vulnerable patients are set to be delivered by a single provider, in a bid to improve their access to services and deliver better health outcomes.

The Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (LLR ICB) has awarded a 10-year Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) contract to Inclusion Healthcare Social Enterprise CIC, to deliver specialist primary care services to the local homeless population, asylum seekers and patients who have been removed from routine general practice. The specialist services will be delivered by the single provider from 1 April 2025 for a 10-year term, with an optional five-year extension period. The indicative annual value of the contract for delivering this specialist service is £1,328,356. LLR ICB spends approximately  £2.3 billion per annum on healthcare services for the population of LLR and the value of the contract equates to less than 1% of the total annual spend of the ICB.

Rachna Vyas, Deputy Chief Executive of the LLR ICB  said: “We are delighted to award this important contract to Inclusion Healthcare and are confident they will provide high-quality healthcare services to some of our most vulnerable patients.

“The complex issues facing these patients include mental health complexities such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and trauma to compounding factors such as lifestyle, no secure accommodation, language barriers and long-term conditions. By commissioning a single provider to deliver an integrated comprehensive specialist primary care service will ensure that the specialist services required for these groups of patients are delivered by the most appropriate healthcare professionals.

“The contract will also mean that services are more accessible, better co-ordinated and deliver value for money.”

Dr Sarah Styles, GP and Chief Executive Officer at Inclusion Healthcare added: “As the current providers of specialist GP services for marginalised groups, including the homeless population in Leicester City, we are extremely pleased and proud that the LLR ICB has chosen Inclusion Healthcare to deliver  services for our vulnerable patient populations for the next 10 years.

“We look forward to working with commissioners to utilise the resources available to provide specialist primary care services in Leicestershire and Rutland as well as Leicester City. Our not-for-profit organisation exists to improve the health and wellbeing of marginalised groups and we have years of experience in this area. Being awarded this contract enables us to continue to demonstrate our values of quality, efficiency, partnership, compassion, and respect to groups of patients who have complex health needs and risk of poor health outcomes.”