Pharmacists in NHS111/Integrated Urgent Care Workforce Development Programme, Health Education England - NHS/SoEPS/16.316 - Market Engagement

Health Education England (HEE) in partnership with NHS England, through the Pharmacy Integration Fund (PhIF), has a requirement to procure training and development for pharmacists working in NHS111/Integrated Urgent Care hubs. This is an initial two-year contract with a maximum value of £1,080,000. These figures include VAT. Please note payment will be related to Financial Years.

HEE has been asked to commission a Pharmacists in NHS111/Integrated Urgent Care Workforce Development programme. This will support Pharmacy's contribution to workforce transformation and locally-led integrated care, as described by the NHS Five Year Forward View, by enabling the expansion of the multidisciplinary primary care team.

This Procurement Information Notice is to advise prospective providers of the Commissioner's intent to hold a market engagement event. This will provide an opportunity for potential providers to find out more about the aims of the tender and contracts, and the process involved. HEE will use the opportunity to gather intelligence from providers which may influence the final tender.

A Pharmacists in NHS111/Integrated Urgent Care Workforce Development programme: Market Engagement Event will be held on:

Thursday 24th August 2017 from 09:30 to 13:00

held at Ambassadors Bloomsbury, 12 Upper Woburn Place, London, WC1H 0HX

Please RSVP by Wednesday 16th August with the name, job title, email address and telephone number of any attendees (a maximum of two attendees per organisation) to:

HEE.pharmreforms@hee.nhs.uk

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

It is the intention of the commissioner that the procurement will be conducted as an OJEU Service Contract using an Open Procedure under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The Invitation to Tender is expected to be published in September 2017 with delivery of the training to commence from January 2018.

A separate advert will be released advising when the procurement is live for submissions.

Additional information: Additional information:

Health Education England (HEE) in partnership with NHS England, through the Pharmacy Integration Fund (PhIF), has a requirement to procure training and development for pharmacists working in NHS111/Integrated Urgent Care hubs. This is an initial two-year contract with a maximum value of £1,080,000. These figures include VAT. Please note payment will be related to Financial Years.

HEE has been asked to commission a Pharmacists in NHS111/Integrated Urgent Care Workforce Development programme. This will support Pharmacy's contribution to workforce transformation and locally-led integrated care, as described by the NHS Five Year Forward View, by enabling the expansion of the multidisciplinary primary care team.

NHS England's Pharmacists in Integrated Urgent Care programme will provide a central recruitment function for the pharmacists then eligible for participation in HEE's training programme.

Pharmacists working in Integrated Urgent Care will work as part of the multidisciplinary team as an expert resource, including handling medicines-related enquiries and issues, undertaking clinical assessment of minor ailments, prescribing for repeat prescription requests and supporting treatment of minor conditions within competency and providing self-care advice. The programme will support the role of the pharmacist as a new licenced user of NHS Pathways. They will be independent prescribers, or training to become one, and will work with and alongside the integrated urgent care team to support safe, efficient and effective patient care. The pharmacists will take a lead in the delivery of medicines/toxicology and pharmacy-related activities across multidisciplinary teams.

Pharmacists will have a leadership role in supporting further integration of urgent care with the wider healthcare teams (such as community pharmacy) to help improve patient outcomes, ensure better access to timely medicines and healthcare advice, and help divert demand from general practice and acute care services. The role has the potential to significantly improve quality of care and patient safety.

Bid evaluation will include quality criteria that reflects HEE Quality Standards. Following this procurement, training for up to 240 pharmacists will be available through a central provider. The provider(s) and participating pharmacists are expected to have an active participation in the programme of evaluation coordinated by NHS England's research and evaluation team. This PIN is to advise prospective providers of the Commissioners intention.

The overall deliverables are expected to take into consideration clinical themes aligned to NHS England requirements and to encourage innovative delivery tailored to specific settings. HEE encourages bids from flexible educational providers able to devise a curriculum to meet these needs.