Community and Domiciliary Based Phlebotomy Service

Tender description

The Community and Domiciliary Phlebotomy Service aims to be delivered via a prime contractor model with appropriate sub-contracting arrangements in place, to address the needs of patients and provide access to services in a timely manner thus avoiding appointments at the local hospital. As such the service will be responsive in offering a routine and urgent Community and Domiciliary Based Phlebotomy Service via direct access (on the day) and priority for bookable appointments should be given to urgent requests, fasting or patients with special needs. The service will be required to provide blood specimen obtained with no harm to the patient and phlebotomists, which will include valid results from clinical laboratory testing for patients. Domiciliary referrals will be responded to within 2 days. Where the referral is urgent the phlebotomist shall attend to the patient within 4 days and for routine referrals within 2-3 weeks. The provider will be required to deliver a transport schedule of a minimum of one organised blood pick-up at each provider location, to be delivered to Barts Health Pathology Department during Monday to Friday (and Saturday if provided) The provider will work alongside the local acute trust to develop protocols for patients that can be effectively managed in the community. Phlebotomy is a speciality identified by the National Health Service (NHS) as being suitable for the relocation of a large proportion of work from secondary to primary care. “Liberating the NHS: ‘Greater choice and control’” signalled the commitment to provide greater choice for patients and closer to home within the local community. The CCG recognises the need to commission a Community and Domiciliary Based Phlebotomy Service, in alignment with delivery of health services closer to patients’ homes and releasing capacity from secondary care, to focus on urgent and acute care. The new Community and Domiciliary Phlebotomy Service will support the CCG to shift activity from an acute setting to the community. The contract will be managed via a cost and volume, payment by results (PBR) payment mechanism. The envisaged contract term is for 3 years with a possible 2 year extension.