| Reference | FOI 2026/1699 |
|---|---|
| Description | Resource activity supported by Commissioning Support Units (CSUs) and/or consultancy providers for the last financial year (6 April 2024 to 5 April 2025) |
| Date Requested | 13/04/2026 |
| Date Replied | 11/05/2026 |
| Category | Contract Management |
Could you please provide the following information regarding resource activity supported by Commissioning Support Units (CSUs) and/or consultancy providers for the last financial year (6 April 2024 to 5 April 2025):
1. A list of functions or services supported externally rather than delivered in-house (e.g. procurement support, analytics, transformation, programme management, contracting, communications, digital, Project Management Office).
2. For each function or service:
a. Whether support is provided by a CSU, a consultancy provider, or both
b. The name(s) of the organisation(s) providing the support
c. The route to market used (e.g. framework, direct award, call-off, competitive tender)
3. Whether the Integrated Care Board has an agreed strategy, operating model, or policy that sets out:
4. Which activities are intended to be delivered in-house
5. Which activities are expected to be delivered via CSUs or external providers
If any of the request is outside the scope of the FOIA, please answer what you can and advise and assist on the best way to uncover the remainder of the information.
The following services are commissioned by NHS Greater Manchester (NHS GM) from commissioning support units:
| CSU | Service | Route to Market |
| AGEM | DSCRO (Data Services for Commissioners Regional Office) | Direct Award via Waiver |
| MLCSU | IFR (Individual Funding Requests) – Public Health Support | East of England CPH Framework Lot 2 – Strategy, System leadership, Governance & Integrated Insurance. |
| MLCSU | DOLS Case Support (Legal Fees) | Oldham Locality – no Waiver or Procurement Information on file |
| MLCSU | PTS Booking Service (Trafford) | Trafford Locality – No waiver or Procurement Information on File |
3. NHS GM has developed a new operating model in response to the ICB Model Blueprint and the NHS 10 Year Plan. That operating model is publicly available on our website and has been provided with this response for the requesters ease. The operating model for NHS GM does not expressly include a strategic or policy statement on the answers to questions a. and b. below. Therefore, additional information is provided as follows:
4. All areas covered in the NHS GM operating model are intended to be delivered in house. However, NHS GM has not ruled out the option of using different delivery models where this either becomes possible due to changes in statute which affect our ability to delegate a function to another provider, or where it is strategically important to deliver in partnership with others.
5. No decisions have been made at this point about any services which will be delivered by external providers.
**A PDF document was sent to the requester with this response. If you require a copy of the full response, together with the attachments, please contact NHS GM’s FOI team – nhsgm.foi@nhs.net **
