Request for Information - Community Podiatry Service (NHS Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees CCG)

NHS Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees Clinical Commissioning Group (NHS HaST CCG) wishes 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 for the provision of Community Services for the Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees localities. This engagement exercise concerns the following Community Care -based Service - Community Podiatry Service.

The CCG is seeking to develop a service model for a high quality community podiatry service that can offer diagnosis, assessment and treatment of any deformity or disease of the foot. It is envisaged that the service will provide a wide range of treatment options with the aim of helping patients reach their optimum level of foot health and mobility, relieve pain, maintain/improve foot function, prevent or minimise deformity and reduce the risk of ulceration. The CCG anticipates that the service will deliver core podiatry which involves the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of common foot pathologies associated with the toenails, soft tissues and the musculoskeletal system with the purpose of sustaining or improving foot health. Alongside this, the service will promote good foot health, actively encouraging patients and their carers to take part in treatment, and therefore retaining responsibility for their own foot care wherever possible. NHS HaST CCG has developed a draft service model for the provision of this service for the geographical locality of Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees, and wishes to undertake soft market testing in order to (a) gain a better understanding of both the level of interest within the external market in the delivery of this service, and (b) understand whether further innovation and value for money can be derived via the proposed future service model.

North of England Commissioning Support Unit (NECS) is managing this RFI process for and on behalf of NHS Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees CCG. If your organisation would like to register an interest in responding to this market engagement exercise and obtain 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 “NECS169a – Request for Information (Community Podiatry for Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees)” 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 upload their responses by 12:00 noon on 2nd September 2015.

Additional information: Following receipt of the RFI responses, NHS Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees may seek to hold 1:1 sessions with those organisations who submit an RFI response. It is envisaged that (should the CCG decide to hold such sessions) that these will take place during week commencing 14th September 2015. However, the CCG will confirm this with all responding organisations.

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.

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 NHS Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees CCG 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.