Community Macular Service

North & South Manchester and Trafford CCG commissioners wish to commission a high quality, comprehensive and efficient community-based macular service to commence in August 2016. The service will treat Wet Age-related Macular degeneration (Wet AMD), and similar conditions such as Diabetic Macular Oedema (DMO) and Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO).

Timely local access to the service will enable GPs and optometrists to refer patients quickly for expert opinion and diagnostic investigation without the need for the patient going into hospital. This will improve clinical outcomes for patients.

The overarching objectives of the service are to:

• Ensure patients are seen and treated in the right place at the right time and by the most appropriate person
• Ensure that all patients have their initial treatment quickly and all subsequent treatments to plan
• Deliver more care in the community with at least one site in each CCG area with more sites opening as demand requires
• Operate under a substantially lower than existing but sustainable tariff offering Value For Money (VFM)
• Offer new technology and treatments as they become available, for example Oraya Therapy, for all those who are eligible for it
• Ensure pro-active shared decision making (SDM) for patients and carers
• Ensure that Clinical practice/treatments are in line with the current research/evidence-based care, ensure adherence to NICE Guidelines and/or any relevant locally developed guidance and evolve as the evidence evolves.
• Ensure that patients have a positive experience of care resulting in improvements in patient satisfaction.
• The service will ensure that all treatments are complaint with the CCG’s Effective Use of Resources (EUR)policies http://www.northmanchesterccg.nhs.uk/funding-treatment
• A fully inclusive service will be available to all communities and, where necessary, make reasonable adjustment for individuals with cognitive, emotional and physical impairments

The CCGs considered including within this service specification a requirement for the provider to offer Avastin (bevacizumab) by choice, given there is a significant body of evidence which shows no material difference between this and the licensed drugs in terms of efficacy and safety and the cost differential between this and the licensed drugs. It has been decided by all 3 CCGs that offering Avastin by choice is not part of the service specification.

However, the CCGs wish to include the use of Avastin in scenarios where it can be legally offered in the patients best interests. The provider will agree these scenarios with the commissioner.

NICE will publish a new AMD diagnosis and management guideline in August 2017. The CCGs understand that routine use of Avastin is covered in the guideline scope and the CCGs positon will be reviewed at this point.

Additional information: The service will be for adults (registered with a North, South Manchester or Trafford CCG GP) that meet the referral criteria, who are newly diagnosed from the start of the service. However, it is anticipated that some existing macular patients may elect to receive treatment in the new service at some point in the future and the CCG s will work with existing providers to facilitate this choice offer.

This is a restricted tender process.

The estimated total value of the contract is £22,703,846 across a maximum five (5) year (60 month) term (comprising an initial three (3) year period with the option of an additional two (2) year extension).

To participate in this tender, and to access all of the PQQ documentation please follow this link:

https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/8E252SG8NZ

The service(s) to which this procurement relates fall within Part B of Schedule 3 to the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 (“the Regulations”) and Annex II B to Council Directive 2004/18/EC. Neither the inclusion of a Bidder selection stage nor the use of the term “Pre-Qualification Questionnaire" nor any other indication shall be taken to mean that the Authority intends to hold itself bound by any of the Regulations save those applicable to Part B services.