Patient choice and accreditation of new providers within Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board

Our role as Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (LSC ICB) is to join up health and care services, improve people's health and wellbeing, and make sure everyone has the same access to services and gets the same outcomes from treatment.  

We recognise that some providers may be considering offering healthcare services to patients in the area and therefore we are committed to ensuring our patients have the right to choose: all eligible providers can seek accreditation via the process that we have developed below. 

The information on this page is designed to help inform organisations of our accreditation process who wish to work with us. The criteria and guidance from the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 will be used to review applications. 

The process will broadly focus on “due diligence” to ensure that:    

  • the provider can deliver high quality, safe services.  
  • the provider can demonstrate their ability to deliver the service outlined in the service specification, on a like for like basis.   

NHS England » The Provider Selection Regime: statutory guidance 

NHS England » Patient choice guidance

Accreditation process overview 

Providers seeking accreditation are asked to read the patient choice provider accreditation guidance and supporting information and should they then wish to proceed to assessment, complete the two accreditation request gateway proformas. 

1. LSC patient choice accreditation gateway proforma >>
2. LSC patient choice accreditation gateway proforma (service details) >>

Prior to services being listed, all providers will be required to hold a signed contract which acknowledges that the governance steps have been completed.  Please note LSC ICB does not support the use of paper referrals in line with national guidance.   

Initial enquiries should be made to lscicb.procurement@nhs.net 

The estimated timeline for LSC ICB accreditation will be as follows:    

  1. Provider submits gateway proformas 
  2. LSC ICB to review information within gateway proformas (up to 10 working days following receipt)  
  3. LSC ICB provides a response to the provider; if the gateway proformas are compliant invites the provider to complete an accreditation questionnaire ​​​(one working day)
  4. Deadline for receipt of accreditation questionnaire from the provider applying to LSC ICB (up to 30 working days)
  5. Evaluation period for evaluating accreditation questionnaire submissions and clarification period. Quality team to send out KLOES for completion that are bespoke to the service offer (up to 14 working days)
  6. Provider site visit is undertaken by LSC ICB (within 20 working days)
  7. Recommendation is taken through LSC ICB governance processes, via ICB commissioning resource group (CRG) and ratification by the executives (CRG meets monthly/executives meet fortnightly)  
  8. Notification of outcome for successful application contract award notice to be issued (up to seven working days from ratification by executives)
  9.  Contract mobilisation meetings commence  
  10. Service commencement (TBC following contract award)

If there is a requirement for LSC ICB to draft a new service specification in relation to the service a provider is seeking accreditation for, please note this could extend the period by a further 12 weeks. 

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