Pan Lancashire and South Cumbria Audiology Services

Pan Lancashire Audiology Services are to provide an innovative and comprehensive patient-centred Integrated Hearing Service across Lancashire and South Cumbria area for non-complex audiology (50 plus years) within community based settings under an AQP Plus framework. The CCGs are managing this procurement in accordance with the light touch regime of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (the "Regulations"). The CCGs have developed an AQP Plus scheme that resembles an AQP scheme developed by the Department of Health however has been adapted and designed to meet the CCGs needs in line with the light touch regime of the Regulations.

Neither the publication of this notice nor the employment of any particular terminology nor any other indication shall be taken to mean that the CCGs intend to hold themselves bound by any of the Regulations save those applicable to the procurement of light touch regime services.

The service will include provision of hearing aids for age related hearing loss (patients aged 50 years and over) in line with national guidance and local requirements for the registered population of the NHS commissioning organisations. The vision is for people with age related hearing loss to receive high quality, efficient services delivered closer to home, with short waiting times. The service must deliver patient focused outcomes in response to the needs of individual patients/families/carers in the community where they live and which is free of charge at the point of care.

The CCGs are looking to award the service to providers that meet the Any Qualified Provider Plus standards. Activity will be paid on a cost per case basis at a Local Tariff rate (to be published in the specification). There will be no guarantees of volume or payment in the contracts awarded.

The contract duration will be for a period of 3 years with a possible extension of two further years.

Applicants are also invited to confirm as part of the tender which CCG areas of Lancashire and South Cumbria they wish to deliver the service from.

The estimated value of the contract will be £3,000,000 a year inclusive of VAT. VAT will not be chargeable to the Commissioner and the individual Provider will be responsible for any VAT incurred.

Additional information: This procurement is for clinical services which are subject to the Light-Touch Regime for the purpose of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 as specified in Schedule 3 of the Regulations ("Regulations"). Accordingly, the contracting authorities are only bound by those parts of the Regulations detailed in Chapter 3 Particular Procurement Regimes Section 7.