Health services

Tender description

This is a Prior Information Notice (PIN) and Request for Information (RFI) published on behalf of NHS Salford Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). The purpose of this advert is to gauge market interest and invite suitably qualified and experienced Providers to express an interest for the Provision of Community Ophthalmology Services in Salford. The service is designed to meet the needs of the Salford registered population, ensuring that patients can access the right level of care in the right setting. The main aims of the service will be the assessment and management of patients whose eye conditions are at low risk of deterioration who are either referred by primary care for assessment or discharged from secondary care for monitoring. For Further information and to express an interest in participating in the RFI process Providers should register their interest on the EU Supply reference 29111. The deadline for submissions is 2.10.2017. It is anticipated that the contract would be for an initial period of 3 years with the option to extend for 2 further years. The CCG is seeking to engage with suitably qualified and experienced Providers to inform the most appropriate route to market. A Market Engagement Questionnaire has been developed for completion, along with a summary of the service specification. If the CCG decides to undertake a formal procurement process then this is anticipated to commence in November 2017, with the intention to have a contract awarded by April 2018 and for Service to commence by August 2018. The Primary Aims and Objectives of the Service will be to: — Deliver safe and effective access for patients to ophthalmology services; — Provide care closer to people's homes, in a community environment, offering a fast and convenient locally based community outpatient service; — Deliver high quality specialist services that support patients to get the right care first time; — Reduce demand on hospital based services via a reduction in referrals to secondary care services and a reduction in the number of follow-ups; — Offer a better value service for the NHS through more efficient use of resources. — Provide a referral assessment (triage) service at the point of entry to deflect/redirect referrals to a more appropriate service; — Ensure that patients are assessed, diagnosed and have started definitive treatment within 18 weeks; — Develop and/or build relationships with both primary and secondary care clinicians / commissioners / other relevant stakeholders to ensure collaborative working between organisations around care pathways; — Provide high standards of care ensuring patients have a positive experience measured by patient satisfaction surveys; — Provide self-help information for patients to manage their conditions more effectively; and — Support the education and up-skilling of referrers, to conduct better ophthalmic diagnosis and condition management in primary care.