Published date: 4 July 2018

Last edited date: 4 July 2018

Closed future opportunity - This means that a potential contract has passed its approach to market date. A buyer can choose to consider any supplier interest or convert this notice into an opportunity ready for live procurement.


Approach to market date: 4 October 2018

Contract summary

Industry

  • Health and social work services - 85000000

Location of contract

South East

Value of contract

£11,500,000

Procurement reference

PR001922 ME

Published date

4 July 2018

Approach to market date

4 October 2018

Contract start date

10 October 2019

Contract end date

9 October 2024

Procedure type

Open procedure (above threshold)

Any interested supplier may submit a tender in response to an opportunity notice.

This procedure can be used for procurements above the relevant contract value threshold.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

Yes

Description

NHS England South East (Kent, Surrey, Sussex) is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) from providers who have the capability and capacity to undertake a contract for the provision of a Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (DESP) in Kent and Medway, and would wish to take to part in a potential procurement exercise

The procurement is envisaged to take place between October and December 2018 and the contract is anticipated to begin in October 2019. A separate advert will be published to alert interested parties when the tender documentation is available

The anticipated contract duration will be 5 years with an annual value in the region of £2.3million. The contract will serve a population of around 1.8 million, of whom c. 100,729 are eligible (being individuals over the age of 12 currently identified as diabetics in need of screening). Currently about 80% of people invited attend for screening. National DESP Guidance estimates a potential 5% growth per annum in the number of people diagnosed with diabetes and approximately 2% of the population in Kent and Medway who may be as yet undiagnosed

The service provider(s) will need to be adaptable to any new elements or changes to the national programme. The successful bidder will be required to implement the change to extended screening intervals for the low risk population as outlined by the 2016 UK NSC recommendation

The successful bidder will be required to deliver a screening programme which is fully compliant with all relevant national standards and pathways and which include the following elements:

• Identification and invitation of the eligible diabetic population for screening at regular/appropriate intervals (i.e. call/recall) in accordance with national guidance
• Taking and grading of digital images of service users' eyes
• Provision of Digital Surveillance Clinics, Slit Lamp Biomicroscopy (SLB) and capacity to deliver Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) assessments within the commissioned service
• Referral of service users to appropriate Hospital Eye Services/Treatment Services in accordance with nationally agreed protocols and treatment pathways

The population expected to be served by the programme is that covered by the 8 CCGs in the Kent and Medway Sustainable Transformation Partnership (West Kent, Medway, Ashford, Canterbury & Coastal, Thanet, Dartford Gravesham & Swanley, South Kent Coast and Swale). NHS England reserves the right not to increase the footprint but to carry out individual procurements where they believe this will be in the best interests of patients and patient choice

This procurement is being carried out by NHS South, Central & West Commissioning Support Unit (SCWCSU) on behalf of the Commissioner

If you wish to express an interest in taking part in a future procurement exercise to identify a provider to deliver these services in Kent and Medway, please register on the In-Tend portal and submit a completed Provider Sounding Questionnaire by 12pm on 2nd August 2018.

More information

Spend profile

This table displays the spend profile of the notice
Financial year Budget
2019/2024 £11,500,000

Attachments

Links

Additional text

To register on In-Tend please visit:
https://in-tendhost.co.uk/scwcsu/aspx/Registration

You can access the project on In-Tend directly using the following link:
https://in-tendhost.co.uk/scwcsu/aspx/ProjectManage/765

In order to return the Provider Sounding Questionnaire, you will need to 'express an interest' and register on the In-Tend portal, and then upload the completed questionnaire to the placeholder provided.

This notice is an information gathering exercise rather than a call for competition in its own right, and therefore publication or response does not commit NHS England or respondents to a future procurement, nor provide any process exemptions or preferential treatment to any parties expressing an interest. NHS England will not be liable for costs incurred by any interested party in participating in this exercise.

The services are healthcare services falling within Schedule 3 to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ("the Regulations") which are not subject to the full regime of the Regulations, but is instead governed by the "Light Touch Regime" contained within Chapter 3, Section 7 of the Regulations (Regulations 74 to 77).

The tendering process will be conducted in accordance with the requirements and flexibilities provided by Articles 74 to 76 of the Directive, and Regulations 74 to 76 of the Regulations. The Authority will run a transparent tender process, treating all Bidders equally. For the avoidance of doubt, the Authority will not be bound by the Regulations or the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union or any other regulations or legislation except for the specific parts or circumstances that apply to the procurement of these Services.

Neither the inclusion of a Bidder selection stage, nor the use of any language or terms found in the Directive or Regulations, nor the description of the procedure voluntarily adopted by the Authority ("Open", "Restricted", "Competitive Procedure with Negotiation", "Competitive Dialogue" or any other description), nor any other indication, shall be taken to mean that the Authority intends to hold itself bound by the Directive or Regulations, save by the provisions applicable to services coming within the scope of Annex XIV of the Directive / Schedule 3 of the Regulations.

The Contracting Authority intends to voluntarily observe the award decision notices provisions and 10 day standstill period described in Regulation 86 of the Regulations. Unsuccessful Bidders will receive scores and reasons for the decision, including the characteristics and relative advantages of the winning bid and the reasons why the Bidder/application was unsuccessful. Deadline for lodging of appeals should be in accordance with Regulation 87 and Regulation 91 of the Regulations.

About the buyer

Contact name

Phil Fear

Address

SOUTH PLAZA
BRISTOL
BS13NX
England

Email

p.fear@nhs.net

Website

https://in-tendhost.co.uk/scwcsu/aspx/Home