Primary Care Extended Access for Bedfordshire

NHS Bedfordshire CCG is expected to implement all 7 core areas of GPFV access.

• Timing of appointments:

Commission weekday provision of access to pre-bookable and same day appointments to general practice services in evenings (after 6:30pm) - to provide an additional 1.5 hours a day;

Commission weekend provision of access to pre-bookable and same day appointments on both Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays to meet local population needs;

Provide robust evidence, based on utilisation rates, for the proposed disposition of services throughout the week;

Appointments can be provided on a hub basis with practices working at scale.

• Capacity:

Commission a minimum additional 30 minutes consultation capacity per 1000 population, rising to 45 minutes per 1000 population.

• Measurement:

Ensure usage of a nationally commissioned new tool to automatically measure appointment activity by all participating practices, both in-hours and in extended hours.

• Advertising and ease of access:

Ensure services are advertised to patients, including notification on practice websites, notices in local urgent care services and publicity that into the community, so that it is clear to patients how they can access these appointments and associated service;

All practice receptionists able to direct patients to the service and offer appointments to extended hours service on the same basis as appointments to non-extended hours services

Patients should be offered a choice of evening or weekend appointments on an equal footing to core hours appointments.

• Digital:

Use of digital approaches to support new models of care in general practice.

• Inequalities:

Issues of inequalities in patients' experience of accessing general practice identified by local evidence and actions to resolve in place.

• Effective access to the wider whole system services

Effective connection to other system services enabling patients to receive the right care the right professional including access from and to other primary care and general practice services such as urgent care.

• Leadership & Governance

Ensure leadership and governance arrangements in place.

The CCG has carried out a thorough due diligence process on the providers named below and believes that they are best placed/most capable to provide these services.

1. Bedford Locality: BEDOC in partnership with Bedford Locality practices. 2. Chiltern Vale Locality: Chiltern Vale Health Community Interest Company (CIC) of behalf of;

Caddington Surgery, Kingsbury Court Surgery, Priory Gardens Surgery, West Street Surgery, Wheatfield Surgery

3. Ivel Valley Locality: BEDOC in partnership with Ivel Valley Locality practices.
4. Leighton Buzzard Locality: BEDOC in partnership with Leighton Buzzard Locality practices.
5. West Mid Beds Locality: Oliver Street Surgery in partnership with other West Mid Beds Locality practices.

Additional information: West Mid Beds and Chiltern Vale practices already hold contracts with NHS England to deliver these services. They have also invested in workforce that would enable them to expand their existing services. They are deemed as being best placed to deliver in their respective Localities. Bedford on Call (BEDOC) is a social enterprise, the members are constituent member GPs of the Bedford Locality practices, and employees. Bedford on Call (BEDOC) has a strong, influential and trusted relationship with our member practices and are therefore deemed as being best placed to successfully deliver the contract in Bedford, Ivel Valley and Chiltern Vale.

A PIN as a Call to Competition procedure was followed as 'Most Capable' providers had been identified following a robust due diligence process. Following the advertisement of a PIN as a Call to Competition notice (OJEU Ref: 2018 081-181432) no further expressions of interest were received from the Market. A voluntary minimum 10 day standstill period has been followed prior to entering into contracts with those providers designated/identified within the notice as being the 'Most Capable' pursuant to Regulation 99(3)(c) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015