Ealing Urgent Care Centre Service

Tender description

NHS Ealing CCG is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced healthcare providers who would like to be considered for the provision of the Ealing Urgent Care Centre (Ealing UCC) service based at Ealing Hospital, Uxbridge Road, Southall, London, UB1 3HW. The reason for this procurement is the impending expiry of the current service contract. The new service contract will commence in April 2016. The Ealing UCC is an established, highly accessible community-based facility, providing care for a large population area. The service is co-located with Ealing Hospital’s Emergency Department (ED). The UCC operates 24/7 all year. In 2014/15 some 66,000 patients attended the UCC – around 60% of all patients presenting for urgent and emergency care at Ealing Hospital. Ealing CCG continues to implement the whole systems integrated programme which covers North West London (NWL) is also actively working with commissioners and providers to consider what accountable care partnership/s could look like. The provider of the UCC would be expected to participate in the discussions to develop this model of care and consider how they could operate within this. Alignment to this vision of healthcare delivery is critical for Ealing CCG. Within Ealing and NWL, the vision is to create an urgent and emergency care system (one system, multiple facilities) capable of delivering equitable access to the right care, first time for the majority of patients through a networked model with services provided 24/7 along robust pathways. It is important that Ealing UCC is a fully integrated part of this system. Re-procurement has provided an opportunity for Ealing CCG to revisit the specification for the service in the light of work being undertaken nationally, regionally and in NWL. This procurement takes into account the future procurement of NHS 111 to ensure the two services work in an integrated way. The CCG will commission and hold accountable the provider(s) to: • Deliver an effective UCC as part of a fully integrated urgent care system performing to the standards specified. • Ensure the most effective use of resources in dealing with varying demand, both predictable and unforeseen. The outcomes will be a service that: • Maximises links with other services within the urgent care system and with primary care and associated services. • Demonstrates tangible support in helping people to use primary care more effectively. • Is mobilised with the minimum of disruption to existing services and performance. • Ensures capacity meets varying demand. • Delivers the highest standards of performance and acts to prevent avoidable use of ED. This culture of working will be supported by strong clinical governance arrangements between partner organisations and in the numerous interfaces between this service and others in the local health and social care economy. Proactive and innovative clinical leadership will underpin the service.