NHSE/I and NHSX - Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) to provide an Electronic Eyecare Referral System (EeRS)

NHSX, through NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI) as the legal entity are establishing a Dynamic Purchasing System for an Electronic Eyecare Referral System.

The establishment of a Dynamic Purchasing System for an Electronic Eyecare Referral System will provide Optometrists access to modern eye care electronic referral services that are capable of supporting the current and future needs of ophthalmologist and other eye care professionals.

This Procurement process is looking to address and improve the connectivity that links primary care optometry and the hospital eye service which is seen as key to improving eye care services in England. The aim is to improve connectivity between primary care optometry and GP practices to deliver joined up, system focused clinical care.

The ambition is to have numerous trained and well-equipped primary care optometrists with the ability to make clinical decisions based on quantitative and imaging clinical data. This will provide significant opportunities to use digital connectivity to improve eye care.

NHSX considers digital solutions that increase connectivity between different providers of eye care horizontally and vertically, and across primary and secondary care, to be a key enabler for the national outpatient transformation programme. This will rapidly restore and ensure continuation of eye care services during COVID-19 and transform how services are delivered in the future.

There are six Clinical Pathways for the Eye care electronic referral service:

• Cataract Pathway
• Glaucoma New Patients Pathway
• Glaucoma Long Term Care Pathway
• DMO Pathway
• Maculopathy Pathway
• CUES Patient Pathway

Providers and solutions will be required to:

• Enable the eye care systems to implement the integrated eye care pathways successfully.
• Reduce strain on the hospital eye service thereby reducing serious patient harm (permanent loss of vision) due to capacity issues and allow greater social distancing
• Allow optometrists to receive feedback to reduce future referrals
• Share images across NHS healthcare sectors
• Enable safe discharge of patients to community care

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/scwcsu/aspx/Home

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/scwcsu/aspx/Home

Additional information: Once established, The DPS for the Electronic Eyecare Referral System will remain open (valid) for 4 years.

It is the absolute intention that following the successful establishment of the Electronic Eyecare Referral System DPS NHSX will commence plans to align the EeRS DPS to operate under the existing Digital Care Services Catalogue.

The alignment will support NHS England's ambition to have a sole procurement route for healthcare services, which will provide a unified set of centrally understood standards. To support the alignment of the DPS, the Digital Care Services Catalogue, the authority will develop new capabilities and standards to more accurately reflect the functionality and benefits of the Electronic Eyecare Referral System.

Therefore all successful suppliers will be required to sign the Digital Care Services Catalogue agreement in preparation of the alignment. NHS Digital will then support suppliers required to meet the new Standards and Capabilities model as set out in the Digital Care Services Catalogue Agreement.

The services are deemed to be subject to the full regime of current EU procurement legislation and as such this tender will be conducted in accordance with, and governed by, the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended). This contract will therefore be awarded in accordance with the provisions applicable in Regulation

5. of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the Dynamic Purchasing System operated in accordance with Regulation 34 thereof.

The contracting authority intends to observe the provisions and 10-day standstill period described in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) as far as applicable. Unsuccessful bidders and applicants will receive scores and reasons why the Bidder/applicant was unsuccessful. Deadlines for lodging appeals should be in accordance with the Regulations.