The Provision of a Lung Health Check and Low Dose CT Scan Service on behalf of NHS South, North & Central Manchester CCG

Tender description

NHS SBS on behalf of NHS South, North & Central Manchester Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) would like to invite Providers to attend a 'Market Engagement Event' to help gauge market interest in relation to the provision of a Lung Health Check and low dose CT scan services. The CCGs are looking at options around a pilot service that delivers an innovative approach to the early detection of COPD and lung cancer in smokers and ex-smokers. Manchester has high mortality from lung cancer nearly double the UK average. Many heavy smokers aged 55-74 would benefit if their lung problems were diagnosed early. This is possible if people could enter a service that provided Spirometry to diagnose COPD and low dose CT scans to diagnose lung cancer early. The intention is to identify people at high risk of lung problems and invite them to a lung health check service. The identification of people wanting the service will not be done by the provider. The provider would deliver the service for the identified list of patients. The service would have 3 main components 1) quality assured Spirometry; 2) risk assessment for lung cancer using a validated questionnaire; and 3) low dose CT scan for high risk people. The service would ideally be provided as a one stop shop service at a community location but it could be split if necessary. The Spirometry and risk assessment could be done at a community location and the CT scans done at a hospital site. A single provider or a close working partnership would ideally provide the service so that the patient journey was seamless. The lung health check provider will provide a lung health check service that will include Spirometry in community settings. The lung health checks will be done over a 3 month period, beginning around March 2016. It is expected that about 1400–1700 people will have a lung health check. Spirometry will be used to diagnose COPD. Those with a high risk of lung cancer will be offered a low dose CT scan. The CT scan provider will provide 16 slice or higher low-dose CT scans to people at high risk of lung cancer. They will provide a block of CT scans for a 3 month period so that those identified at high risk of lung cancer at a lung health check get an appointment. The scans will be stored safely and will be available for reading by our Radiologists that will be based in the NHS. Ideally the CT scan provider would be able to provide follow-up scans 3 months after the initial scan to those that need them. It is expected that the provider will provide at least 1000 initial chest CT scan appointments during a 3 month period, beginning around March 2016. The provider will also be needed to provide a similar number of scans one year later (around March 2017).