Request for Information - Tier 3 Specialist Weight Management Service (on behalf of NHS Cumbria CCG, NHS Hartlepool and Stockton-On-Tees CCG and NHS South Tees CCG)

North of England Commissioning Support Unit (NECS), on behalf of NHS Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS Hartlepool and Stockton-On-Tees Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS South Tees Clinical Commissioning Group ("the CCGs"), is looking to gauge market interest and conditions for the provision of a Tier 3 Specialist Weight Management Service.

As such, the CCGs wish to engage with the wider market via a Request for Information (RFI) process, in order to potentially inform future service model development and/or commissioning intentions.

The increasing levels of obesity in the UK are well documented; it has been estimated that the combined medical costs of an extra 11m obese adults nationally could be £2bn a year, equating to £100m annually for the health economies of the North East and Cumbria.

Tier 3 weight management services are typically designed for obese individuals who have not responded to previous interventions, and are comprised of a multi-disciplinary, clinically-led team of specialists. Tier 3 weight management services are a pre-requisite in the NICE eligibility criteria for Tier 4 bariatric surgery and are integral to a tiered approach to management of obesity. The overarching aims of any such service would be to reduce obesity rates, prevent related illnesses, and lower the number of patients needing referral into Tier 4 bariatric surgery.

NECS is managing this RFI process for and on behalf of the above-named CCGs. If your organisation would like to register an interest in responding to this market engagement exercise and obtain a copy of the Request for Information documentation please go to the NECS E-Tendering Portal: https://in-Tendhost.co.uk/necs . If your organisation has not previously registered on the NECS E-Tendering Portal, please ensure that you do register in order to access the RFI documentation. It is free to register on the portal, which can be accessed at any time of day.

Once registered, to view details of the RFI exercise, please navigate to “Request for Information - Tier 3 Specialist Weight Management Service” and select “View Details”. Please then select the button marked “Express Interest” – you will then be able to access the RFI documentation.

Any organisations who wish to provide a response to this RFI are requested to complete and return their responses by 12:00 noon on 18th December 2015, by uploading them onto the NECS E-Tendering Portal using the designated placeholder.

Please be aware that all communications and submissions will be conducted via the NECS E-Tendering Portal. A dedicated helpdesk is available should potential providers have any queries about, or problems with, the portal; 0844 2728810 (Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm) / e-mail: support@in-tend.co.uk.

Additional information: PLEASE NOTE – this facility allows providers to express an interest in this proposed service. It is NOT a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire exercise and is NOT part of any pre-qualification or selection process. It is intended as an awareness, communication and information gathering exercise which will assist the above-named CCGs to inform potential future service models and / or commissioning intentions. An Expression of Interest is no indication of a commitment to participate in the RFI process nor does it infer any preferential or special status on those providers who do submit an interest.