Prior Information Notice (PIN) for the provision of GP Direct Access AQP (Any Qualified Provider) NOUS and MRI Community Diagnostic Services - NHS Swale CCG - NHS/SoEPS/16.296

NHS South of England Procurement Services, acting on behalf of NHS Swale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) (the Commissioner) will be commencing an AQP Offer for the provision of GP Direct Access Diagnostics for NHS Swale CCG patients. This Prior Information Notice (PIN) is to advise prospective providers of the Commissioners intention.

NHS Swale CCG currently commissions GP Direct Access Diagnostics services in Swale through the Any Qualified Provider (AQP) model. Following a market engagement event the feedback has resulted in the CCG wishes to re-accredit current AQP providers and invite new providers to apply to provide GP Direct Access Diagnostics by way of MRI & NOUS provision. These will be two individual services although providers may tender for both using the same bid or providers can tender for either service and indicate where applicable which service(s) are being tendered for on the bid. These services will be delivered to patients registered with an NHS Swale CCG GP through an AQP model.

The CCG will have regular performance meetings (quarterly) with accredited AQP providers to review performance of the service. It is expected that maintaining an AQP model will allow the current patient pathway for GP Direct Access Diagnostic services to remain and will maintain patient choice to local GP DA Diagnostic services.

Please note that as this is an AQP there are no guaranteed or indicative volumes of activity within the contract.

The AQP Offer is expected to be published during week commencing 20 March 2017. A separate advert will be published announcing the start of the accreditation process and the opening of the AQP offer. This advert will include further information with regards to the procurement and how to access the documents.

The commissioner reserves the right not to proceed with the Procurement, or any part thereof, or change the requirements as necessary at any time.