The NHS has launched a major legal services tender process worth between £60m and £120m over four years.

The tender, which was launched today (29 January) by the NHS' procurement arm, asks law firms to pitch for work covering NHS trusts across the south east and east of England, as well as county, borough and district councils and other public bodies.

Potential contractors have been asked to submit bids by 27 February 2014, with the NHS documents placing an emphasis on "the most economically advantageous" offers for work.

The tender is divided into nine lots, covering primary care, mental health, corporate and commercial, employment, property, PFI/PPP, NHS governance and public law, health, and multi-disciplinary legal services.

With the exception of the primary care and mental health lots, all bids may be subject to a "reverse auction", according to the tender documents, which provide no detail on the number of places available for each lot.

Last year, the Department of Health and the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) appointed a new panel to provide legal advice to 16 health organisations, with 14 firms making the roster.

That panel – which saw contract wins for DAC Beachcroft, Hill Dickinson, Kennedys, Weightmans and Browne Jacobson – is less focused on corporate matters, and primarily covers on clinical and non-clinical liability, regulatory and health work.