Non-Obstetric Ultrasound Service for Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board

Tender description

This contract is for the provision of a non-obstetric ultrasound service to eligible patients registered with a GP in Surrey Heartlands ICB North West Surrey Place. The NHS supports direct access to diagnostic tests as part of the drive to reduce waiting times, enable quicker diagnosis and improve choice for patients. Community based non obstetric ultrasound diagnostic services are supported by the Royal College of Radiologists and Royal College of General Practitioners as part of a service strategy to improve access to tests and ensure these tests are delivered at the right stage of the patient care pathway. The overarching aims of the service are: • To ensure patients receive the right test at the right time and in the most clinically appropriate local setting. • To ensure diagnostic testing is integrated across pathways of care, that the report and images follow the patient and that there is no unnecessary duplication of investigation. • To enable patients and referring clinicians to access a choice of provision • according to patient choice, clinical need and relevant care pathway. • To ensure diagnostic tests are appropriate, necessary, clinically correct, of high quality, with timely access and reporting. Lot 1: This notice is an intention to award a contract under the PSR, having followed a competitive process. The contract is for the value of £297840 over two years. The contract will expire on 8th June 2027. This contract is for the provision of a non-obstetric ultrasound service to eligible patients registered with a GP in Surrey Heartlands ICB North West Surrey Place. The service will aid early diagnostics and avoid the need for unnecessary referral to secondary care and support the provision of care closer to the patient’s home, where this will improve access. Where there are clear secondary care clinical pathways with ultrasound as a core component, and it is more appropriate for this diagnostic to be undertaken as an integral part of the clinical pathway, this will remain in secondary care. The service will offer a local, direct access non-obstetric ultrasound service with staff qualified to appropriate levels of skill and experience, using ultrasound equipment which complies with the guidance set by the Royal College of Radiologists. The service requires connection to NHS image transfer solutions, robust performance management systems and guarantees stringent levels of clinical governance. Diagnostic investigation will be delivered and a report provided to the referrer, which covers the description of the investigation and findings and, where appropriate, any recommendations which may include further imaging or investigation and advice on Primary Care management. The use of structured reporting will support local referrers in their options for further clinical management. The service will be fully quality assured, validated and supported by Surrey Heartlands ICB. The Provider will offer an excellent patient experience across the entire clinical and patient pathway. In order to measure this, the Provider has a robust mechanism for collecting patient feedback using approaches that reflect the diverse nature of their patient population. There is an expectation that the appointed provider will work with referrers and system partners within Surrey Heartlands North West Surrey Place to ensure service resilience for the benefit of patients.