1:1 Soft Market Testing for Custodial Healthcare and Forensic Services

Staffordshire, West Midlands, West Mercia and Warwickshire Police Forces would like to notify all potential providers about a ‘forthcoming Market Engagement Event’ as part of a wider Soft Market Testing exercise, following on from an initial event that took place on 12 August 2016.

The purpose of the event will be to discuss further with providers on an individual basis the Police Forces high-level plans and strategy for Custodial Healthcare and Forensic Services. The four Police Forces are keen to hear from prospective provider’s thoughts and ideas on the potential service models.

To this end prospective providers are requested to participate in a Request for Information (RFI) exercise. Upon the receipt of this information, the Police Forces will evaluate the responses, and prospective bidders will be shortlisted to partake in a 1 to 1 Market engagement event will take place on 7th & 8th September 2016, venue to be confirmed.

Overview of Service Requirements:

Staffordshire, West Midlands, Warwickshire and West Mercia Police Forces, supported by NHS England, are currently in the process of establishing requirements for the future provision of Police Custodial Healthcare and Forensic Services in the Staffordshire, West Midlands, Warwickshire and West Mercia Policing Areas ahead of the planned re-tendering of services in 2016/17.

The Police Forces are responsible for planning and specifying the services to be delivered and for commissioning services from suitable healthcare providers, managing the delivery of services to national Police and NHS standards. The services currently provided include forensic medical, nursing and administrative services into custody and Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC) in each Police area. A number of discreet service elements are currently included within the contracts, including but not limited to;

• Healthcare and forensic medical services for detained persons in custody
• The taking of blood samples in hospital
• Forensic examination input into SARCs

It is the intention that the new procurement will be for Custody Healthcare and Forensic Medical Services only, therefore the provision of forensic services to the SARC will not be part of the future custody healthcare contract. It is considered that the existing service arrangements are unlikely to effectively meet future demands. The Commissioners are therefore seeking to modify the current contracting model and to identify a solution that will be better equipped to meet future requirements and would like healthcare providers to provide feedback on potential:

• Service Models
• Exclusion of SARC (healthcare and forensic services to custody only)
• Lotting Strategies
• Pricing Mechanisms

Additional information: To obtain further information and to access the RFI documentation for this project please register your interest on the Bravo Solution e-tendering website and download the project documents including the current service specification: https://attain.bravosolution.co.uk

A Suppliers’ Quick Start Guide for Responding to Online Tenders using the Bravosolution portal on which the RFI documents relating to this opportunity has been attached.

It is the intention of the Commissioners to use the national specification as a basis for the future procurement of this service and any significant outputs from the soft market testing will be considered and applied where appropriate to ensure it is fit for our purpose. This national specification is expected to be available for circulation in August, at which point it will be shared with those providers that have expressed an interest in this exercise. In the absence of the national specification at this point, a copy of the specifications for the two current contracts are available to provide an overview of the current service provision. Please note that the current provision includes services to the SARC and as previously stated, it is the intention that SARC will not be part of the future custody healthcare contract.

Please note that this RFI/market engagement exercise is not part of any tender process. It is intended as an awareness, communication and information gathering exercise offering an opportunity for provider organisations to help inform potential future service specifications and/or commissioning intentions. The deadline to register for the event is on or before 12noon on 26th August 2016.

Please Note: NOTE: An expression of interest in this RFI exercise will not automatically entitle your involvement in any future procurement exercise. Any procurement conducted as a result of this event will be advertised separately and all organisations wanting to participate will need to respond to the procurement advertisement as and when it is published. Any expenditure, work or effort undertaken by you prior to any subsequent procurement is a matter solely for your own commercial judgment.

The Police Forces reserve the right to withdraw from the process at any time or to not tender the service or to tender on a different basis. In such circumstances, and in any event, the Police Forces and/or its advisors shall not be liable for any costs or loss of expenses whatsoever incurred by the provider and company, agent, subsidiary or organisation may have contributed to any information submitted to this notice. Attain is conducting this market engagement exercise as agent for and on behalf of Staffordshire, West Midlands, Warwickshire and West Mercia Police Forces, and will be the main point of contact. Under no circumstances should Providers approach the Police Forces.