Fully Managed Offsite Service Providing Direct GP Access to AI Cardiac Ultrasound (AICUS) with referral service on behalf of St Vincent's University Hospital

Tender description

SVUH has recognised the need to improve access to cardiac diagnostics at the primary care level, in line with national policy recommendations supporting GP direct referral to echocardiography. This initiative aligns with the HSE’s strategic objectives under Sláintecare to shift appropriate care from acute hospital settings to community-based services, thereby improving patient outcomes and reducing waiting times. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) applied to cardiac ultrasound imaging present a significant opportunity to enhance access to diagnostic-quality imaging for a greater proportion of the population. This will empower GPs and their patients to proactively assess heart health and assist in ensuring all patients are facilitated in early identification and treatment of established or emerging heart disease. Under appropriate clinical guidance and governance, this has the potential to shift the model of delivery of cardiovascular care to a proactive model, where emerging problems are identified and treated at an earlier stage than has previously been feasible. The purpose of this procurement is to appoint a single service provider to deliver a comprehensive, end-to-end managed service that encompasses all aspects of service delivery, including facilities, staffing, equipment, handling software and AI-enabled software, referral and IT infrastructure, clinical governance, and reporting. The service will enable GPs to refer patients directly for AI-assisted cardiac ultrasound, with results reported back to the referring clinician in a timely and secure manner. The managed service may be handed over to HSE authorities following the end of the term of any contract resulting from this CfT. The Contracting Authority has internally documented the budget for any expenditure on the Services to be covered by the proposed Service Contract to amount to some EUR 667,621.48 (excl. VAT) over the Term, excluding any possible extensions. Tenders which surpass this amount may be rejected. The estimated value specified below in this CfT is a rounded-up figure.