Adult Autism Assessment, Diagnosis and Support - NHS Shropshire CCG

NHS Midlands and Lancashire CSU are conducting this procurement on behalf of NHS Shropshire CCG.

This Invitation to Tender provides information pertaining to the procurement for Autism Diagnosis Services for Adults. The purpose of this procurement is to secure a Service Provider to deliver Autism Diagnosis Services for Adults to the patients of Shropshire CCG to the patients of Shropshire CCG.

Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) is a lifelong condition that affects how a person communicates with and relates to other people and how that impacts on social interaction and social relationships. It also affects how a person makes sense of the world around them. The word "spectrum" is used because the characteristics of the condition vary from one person to another and there are varying degrees of impact on the individual.

The three main areas of difficulty experienced by all people with autism are:

• Social communication, particularly using and understanding facial expressions, tone of voice and abstract language;
• Social interaction - recognising or understanding other people's emotions and feelings and expressing their own;
• Social imagination - understanding and predicting other people's behaviour, making sense of abstract ideas and imagining solutions beyond their own perspective.

The CCG are looking to commission a comprehensive Services that covers the following:

• A Diagnostic Service for adults who may have Asperger's Syndrome or a high-functioning autism condition for whom no current pathway exists.
• Timely diagnosis, which will help the individual, families, friends, parents, carers, professionals and colleagues to better understand and manage their needs and behaviour.
• Locally managed diagnostic service that incorporate best clinical practice.
• Advice and ongoing support post diagnosis.

The Commissioner is considering a 2-year contract period with the option to extend for a further 12 months, value estimated at £48,000.00 per annum.

The NHS Standard Contract Terms and Conditions shall apply to this procurement.

Additional information:

Midlands and Lancashire CSU is conducting this procurement exercise as a central purchasing body for another NHS body with whom the successful bidder(s) will enter into contracts for the supply of the services.

The contract conditions will be set out in the Invitation to Tender. Further details will be made available via documentation and information released during the course of the tender process.

This exercise will be conducted on the Midlands and Lancashire CSU portal at https://mlcsu.bravosolution.co.uk

• i)Candidates should register on the portal at

https://mlcsu.bravosolution.co.uk (registration and use of the website is free of charge). If your organisation has registered previously, you do not need to re-register.

• ii)Once registered, candidates must submit your reply on the website and by email by the deadline stated.

For technical support in submitting your expression of interest contact the BravoSolution Help-desk on

+44 8003684850 or E-mail: help@bravosolution.co.uk.

Light Touch Regime' services: This procurement is for clinical services which are Light Touch Regime services for the purpose of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 as specified in Schedule 3 of the Regulations('Regulations'). Accordingly, the contracting authorities are only bound by those parts of the Regulations detailed in Chapter 3 Particular Procurement Regimes Section 7. The contracting authorities are not voluntarily following any other part of the Regulations. The procedure which the contracting authorities are following is set out in the MOI.

As the CCG is a relevant body for the purpose of the National Health Service(Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) (No 2) Regulations 2013 these Regulations also apply to this procurement.