NHS England has awarded a £9.6m contract to deliver Practice Level Support services, a general practice improvement programme that helps surgeries make operational changes benefiting patients and staff.

The Royal College of General Practitioners will deliver the service across seven regional lots, one for each region in England. Each contract runs for three years with an option to extend for an additional year. The programme targets improved patient access and health outcomes, alongside increased staff productivity and reduced workload.

Integrated Care Boards will be able to access the contract through clustering arrangements, extending its reach beyond NHS England's direct commissioning. The structure allows the winning supplier to bid for all seven lots but restricts them to winning no more than three.