Health services

Tender description

This Prior Information Notice (PIN) solely relates to Early Market Engagement. The purpose of this market engagement is to engage with providers to seek market feedback in relation to a potential forthcoming procurement. The procurement will seek to appoint a provider(s) that can deliver an end to end management and support service for a diabetes prevention programme including delivery anywhere across England of a lifestyle change service delivering a range of interventions to people identified as being at risk of diabetes (e.g. motivational support for weight management, encouraging physical activity and dietary advice). The Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme is a joint initiative by NHS England, Public Health England and Diabetes UK. It is the first national programme to implement at scale an evidence-based diabetes prevention programme aimed at reducing the increasing prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes. The programme delivers lifestyle interventions to support adults at high risk of Type 2 diabetes to make lifestyle changes that could reduce their risk by: — Achieving a healthy weight, — Achieving dietary recommendations, and — Achieving CMO physical activity recommendations. The identification and referral of people at risk is undertaken by primary care, and individuals aged 18 years or over who have “non-diabetic hyperglycaemia” are eligible for the service. This is defined as having an HbA1c of 42 – 47 mmol/mol (6 – 6,4 %) or an FPG of 5.5 — 6.9 mmol/l within the 12 months prior to referral onto the Service. The current Framework Agreement set up in April 2016 expires in March 2019 and NHS England as the commissioner of the services is giving prior notice of the procurement of a new framework running for 3 years with an option to extend a further year. As part of this new framework NHS England wishes to explore the potential to: — Widen access to prevention services, particularly for working age and younger cohorts, rural communities, and harder to reach communities, — Increase retention on courses to maximise participation and benefit from attending the interventions, — Encourage innovation to improve the quality and effectiveness of services for participants, and — Achieve best value for money and sustainability of services. To that end the following are being considered for inclusion in the framework: The Current Service. The current (in-person) service specification; unchanged except for refinements where the evidence or NICE guidelines have evolved and potentially with the current requirement for providers to undertake blood tests removed. A Core Service With Some Remote Delivery (Optional). A modified version of the current specification that NHS England may choose to call off in addition to the Current Service. Providers will continue to be required to offer the Current Service in which the entire intervention is in-person. However they will also be required to offer a choice of remote alternatives for certain parts of the intervention for those who prefer. Optional Remote Digital Service. The evidence base for digital prevention services is emerging. This service would be optional in that NHS England reserves the right to call off digital services in a controlled way from 2019 as evidence builds. This service offer would be predominantly or entirely delivered remotely via digital technology; online, web-services, software and smartphone apps etc. with minimal or no physical in-person sessions. The curriculum content would be very similar to the current specification but would allow for all the components to be delivered remotely via digital channels. It should be noted that a clear principle in re-procuring prevention services is that face to face (in person) services, which are based on best evidence, remain sustainable and that all potential participants are offered this choice. A consultation document can be found here https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/consultation/framework-providers-diabetes-prevention/ We welcome initial responses from potential providers of these new services as well as primary care and local health economy stakeholders by close of play on the 30.4.2018.