BPO service provider Capita has signed a contract with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to provide omnichannel contact center services.

 

The contract is expected to commence in November 2026 and has a term of three years. The estimated total contract value amounts to approximately 31 million pounds over those first three years. Under the contract, Capita will provide a flexible and scalable Single Service Centre (SSC). This will handle daily operations, including health information lines, online support, and other inquiries via telephone and digital channels.

The SSC is to function as a strategic national contact center facility providing regular public health services. In addition, it must be able to offer scalable support for future health incidents and emergencies.

Capita delivers the services via its own platform, Capita Connect, with cloud infrastructure including Amazon Web Services and advanced data capacity, for a robust, flexible, and efficient operation.

Focus on the public sector

This is not the first contract Capita has secured in the public sector. Since March 2026, the company has also been providing back-office services for civil servants at the Department for Work and Pensions, the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office, and Defra: HR, payroll, recruitment, finance, procurement, and service desk. Previously, the company closed a series of deals with, among others, Kent County Council (contact center services for 1,6 million residents), Hart District Council, Havant Borough Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, and Vale of White Horse District Council. A contract with Southern Water was also extended this year, a five-year deal worth £92,4 million.

Service provider that causes damage

The fact that Capita is a regular fixture at the British government raises questions within the UK itself. The company came under fire due to poor service at the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS). That £239 million contract concerned the construction and administration of one of the UK's largest pension schemes, serving approximately 1,5 million current and former civil servants.

This led to various service delivery problems late last year, including a poorly functioning online self-service environment with login issues for participants and pensioners who did not receive their benefits on time. The problems were only acknowledged this spring by both the service provider and the client.

Capita recently divested the branch that serves private clients Inspirit Capital, to focus fully on public service and pension service.

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