NHS England Wessex and Thames Valley Dental Electronic Referral System (DERS)

NHS England - South (Wessex and Thames Valley), the Commissioners, are seeking information regarding a Dental Electronic Referral System (DERS) to manage patients that may require level 2 and 3 dental services which cannot be provided by their dentist. The system requirement is expected to include the ability to transfer patient data and clinical imaging securely, ability to accept referrals and the ability to send/receive secure messages between the referee and the service provider. There is also potential for other commissioners and commissioning areas to use this system in the future, including NHS England - South West region.

As part of the commissioning process, the Commissioners wish to engage with system providers to view system demonstrations and gather information regarding the potential system options. This information will then inform any subsequent service specification. A draft service specification is provided as an attachment for information only.

The Commissioners will be holding a market engagement event for this purpose on 11th October 2018 in Basingstoke, venue to be confirmed. This market engagement event will involve individual presentations and demonstrations from system providers followed by a question and answer session from the Commissioner panel.

If you wish to apply to participate in this event please send your organisation details along with the names of no more than 3 attendees to Katie Luscombe on scwcsu.procurement@nhs.net by no later than 12 noon on 27th September. Please note that meeting slots will be provided on a 'first-come first-served' basis and providers should be aware that flexibility concerning times may not be possible.

Please note this Early Engagement Notice has been issued purely to gather information regarding this service, and does not currently form part of any formal procurement process.

Interested parties should note that a response to this Notice does not guarantee an automatic invitation to any subsequent formal procurement, which the Commissioners will consider in due course.

This procurement is being carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioners.

Additional information: This notice is an information gathering exercise rather than a call for competition in its own right, and therefore publication or response does not commit NHS England - South (Wessex and Thames Valley) or respondents to a future procurement, nor provide any process exemptions or preferential treatment to any parties expressing an interest. Commissioners are looking to establish what interest there might be in providing such a service from suitably qualified, capable and competent organisations.

NHS England - South (Wessex and Thames Valley) will not be liable for costs incurred by any interested party in participating in this exercise. Interested parties should note that a response to this notice does not guarantee an automatic invitation to any subsequent formal procurement, which the commissioners will consider in due course.

Interested providers will also be able to view this notice via the 'current tenders' list on the e-procurement portal (In-Tend). https://in-tendhost.co.uk/scwcsu/aspx/Home

On registration, please include at least two contacts to allow for access to the portal in times of absence.