Community Paediatric Nutrition Prescribing Support Dietitian (PSD) Service for mid and south Essex

This is a Contract Award Notice to communicate a contract award made by NHS Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) as lead commissioner on behalf of the Mid and South East Essex Clinical Commissioning Groups (the Authority) consisting NHS Mid Essex CCG, NHS Basildon and Brentwood CCG, NHS Thurrock CCG, NHS Castle Point & Rochford CCG and NHS Southend CCG, in accordance with the Authorities Standing Financial Instructions (SFI's).

The contract award is made to Oviva UK Limited for the provision of a technology-enabled, community paediatric Infant Formula prescribing support dietitian (PSD) service including Rapid Access Clinic, Education, System Transformation and in-practice GP audits on infant formula prescribing and assessments with the Paediatric PSDs for all infants not currently under a dietitian, in mid and south east Essex.

The contract will commence from 1st April 2021 and expire 31st March 2023, with the south west Essex element being covered from 23rd August 2021 until 31st March 2023, at an aggregate cost of £565,584.

The objectives of this service aim to:

-Improve the parent/carer and patient experience of care

-Implement the International Milk Allergy Protein (iMAP) guidelines (including extensively hydrolysed formula first prescribing, and dietitian-led management of all infants with Cow's Milk Protein Allergy (CMPA)

-Rapidly increase knowledge about CMPA and infant formulas in patients & healthcare professionals (note CMPA affects 3-7% of infants according to Allergy UK) to support appropriate prescribing/referrals, with a particular focus on Health Visitors and GPs -Reduce demands on NHS services (including primary care, secondary care paediatric teams and paediatric A&E)

-Drive prescribing savings by ensuring appropriate prescribing and duration of treatment.

-Ensure complex infants with IgE mediated CMPA continue to specialist local services at North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT).

The Authority is publishing this Contract Award Notice in the Contracts Finder in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended by The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020) for spend above £25,000. The Service to which this procurement relates fall within Schedule 3 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. As such, the Authority does not intend to hold itself bound by any of the Regulations, save those applicable to Schedule 3 Services and the contract value does not exceed the procurement threshold relevant to schedule 3 services.