Approved contractors

An approved contractor is an organisation, approved by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), to carry out surveys in the NHS Patient Survey Programme on behalf of an NHS Trust.

It is recommended that NHS Trusts employ the services of an approved contractor to undertake the survey on their behalf as they have the specialist skills, knowledge and resources to undertake a survey.

Planning, undertaking and reporting surveys is an administratively complex task requiring dedicated resources for several months, and it is easy to underestimate the staff time required. Previous surveys within the programme have shown that fewer mistakes are made by trusts using an approved contractor.

CQC has undertaken a fully compliant procurement process and awarded a framework that is accessible to all NHS organisations. The contractors who were successful in being awarded framework agreements are:

Patient Perspective Ltd

5 South Parade, Summerton, Oxford, Oxfordshire,
OX4 1BA

Picker Institute Europe

Suite 6, Fountain House, 1200 Parkway Court, John Smith Drive, Oxford, OX4 2JY

IQVIA UK

Unit 1 Holmewood Business Park, Chesterfield Road, Holmewood, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S42 5US

Explain Market Research Limited

The Core, Bath Lane, Newcastle Helix, Newcastle, NE4 5TF

The framework was awarded for an initial period of 24 months, commencing 2nd February 2023 with an option to extend for 24 months.

Trusts have the option of directly awarding a call-off contract or holding a further competition before the award of a call-off contract. The procedures for award can be found in Part C of Annexe 1 of the framework agreements.

Further information including copies of the framework agreements can be found by accessing the contracts finder link below or by contacting: commercialcontracts@cqc.org.uk

https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/9e3f33ed-ee5e-40db-bc51-678e68928a63