Published date: 4 October 2018

This notice was replaced on 22 July 2019

This notice does not contain the most up-to-date information about this procurement. The most recent notice is:

Awarded contract (published 22 July 2019)

Closed opportunity - This means that the contract is currently closed. The buying department may be considering suppliers that have already applied, or no suitable offers were made.


Contract summary

Industry

  • Health and social work services - 85000000

Location of contract

South East

Value of contract

£12,465,083

Procurement reference

PR001922

Published date

4 October 2018

Closing date

7 December 2018

Contract start date

10 October 2019

Contract end date

9 October 2024

Contract type

Service contract

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 to re-procure the Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (DESP) in Kent and Medway. The Commissioner will be contracting for the services using the National NHS Standard Contract. The contract will be for a term of 5 years and is due to commence on 10th October 2019. Payment will be made on a tariff basis and the anticipated total value of the contract, based on achievable KPI uptake (85%), is £12,465,083.

The Commissioners seek tender responses from providers who have the capability and capacity to undertake such a contract. This procurement is being carried out by NHS South, Central & West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioners.

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). National DESP Guidance estimates a potential 4% 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) 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 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).

Interested parties are invited to take part in an Invitation To Tender (ITT) process, based on the Open procedure, and designed to identify the Most Economically Advantageous Tender and therefore determine the incoming provider. The deadline for receipt of tender submissions is no later than 12 noon on 7th December 2018.

More information

Links

Additional text

A prior information/early engagement notice was published in relation to this procurement in July 2018, seeking expressions of interest. Please note that this previous notice was an information gathering exercise rather than a call for competition in its own right. Although those who responded to that notice will be advised that this contract notice has been published, there will be no process exemptions or preferential treatment afforded to any parties who expressed an interest at that stage.

Interested parties can access the opportunity directly by following the link below:
https://in-tendhost.co.uk/scwcsu/aspx/ProjectManage/820

In order to access the tender documentation you will need to 'express an interest' and register on the system. Bidders are required to respond to Selection Questionnaire and ITT questions directly within the system and attach any requested documents separately to the placeholders provided.

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