Prior Information Notice - Forthcoming Procurements of a Dental electronic referral service for NHS England Central Midlands

Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support Unit (AG CSU), acting on behalf of the NHS England (Central Midlands) (hereby known as The Commissioners) invites expressions of interest from the dental electronic referral service (DERS) providers to manage the appropriate clinical demand and allocation for approximately 150,000 referrals based on the tiers of complexity and excluding those referrals where the General Dental Practitioner (GDP) suspects a malignancy for the area.

NHS England (Central Midlands) covers the following areas: from Hertfordshire through to Lincolnshire and from West Leicestershire through to East Leicestershire & Rutland (hereby referred to as the Central Midlands locality).

The aim of the procurement is to remove inequalities in service provision of specialist and intermediary dental services for patients residing across the Central Midlands locality. The service will achieve an improved referral mechanism for patients, referrers and providers. A clinically triaged DERS will help facilitate a care pathway for a patient to see the right clinician, at the right time, in the correct health setting.

DERS provider will be expected to work closely with relevant clinical networks, commissioners and acute service providers to ensure appropriate, timely, effective and safe dental treatment to the population in the Central Midlands locality. Commissioners are seeking bids providing innovative service models and solutions, which will enhance and compliment the clinical pathways, whilst supporting the transition to a paperless NHS.

The Commissioner reserves the right to request expansion of this service in the future and acknowledges that any future expansion would be subject to negotiation; however, the successful DERS provider must be able to demonstrate that their systems and processes are capable of expansion, e.g. to manage referrals for additional specialties and over wider geography.

A DERS system and its providers for the Central Midlands will need to:

•Feature clinical triage that will be undertaken by Specialist providers

•Permits patient choice

•Informs commissioners with respect to referral patterns, and highlight training needs in individuals or GDP practices

•Ensure that treatment takes place in the most clinically appropriate and financially effective setting

•Provide a mechanism for clinically led triage

•Ensure a fair and equitable service across Central Midlands locality, that promotes patient choice and reduces waiting times

•Supports a consistent approach of referral management across Central Midlands locality

•Proactively resolve waiting list pressures by redirecting patient flow via an up to date directory of services

•Provide the ability for clinicians, commissioners and patients to track referrals through a unique referral number

•Facilitate high quality referrals, and so achieve, better clinical effectiveness and efficiency through improved standards of information accompanying referrals

Additional information: The procurement relating to this PIN notice will be advertised on Contracts Finder (https://online.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/) and administered/conducted via the AG CSU's e-Tendering portal known as Bravo solutions. Providers wishing to be considered for this opportunity must register with AG CSU's e-Tendering portal by visiting following web link: https://ardengemcsu.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.html

Full details regarding this procurement opportunity will be available there. Once registered, providers must express their interest by taking following steps:

1.Log in within the portal with the username/password,

2.Click on 'View Current Opportunities' sections.

3.Find appropriate project and click on it

4.Click the "Express Interest" button at the top of the page

5.On the next screen please go to 'My Procurement Projects' and click on 'PQQ Open To All Supplier' section,

6.Follow further instructions and provide additional procurement specific information (if required)

The services will be procured as per the Light Touch Regime detailed in Section 7 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ("The Regulations"), using the Open Procedure. It is worth noting here that NHS Arden and GEM CSU will only be bound by those parts of the Regulations that applies to contracts for Social and Other Specific Services. The Health & Social Care Act 2012; in particular the regulations made under Section 75 will also be taken into consideration.

An expression of interest as a result of this PIN notice will not automatically entitle your involvement in any future procurement exercise. Any procurement conducted as a result of this notice will be advertised separately and all organisations wanting to participate will need to respond to the procurement advertisement as and when it is published.

Arden and GEM CSU welcomes and appreciates your organisation's effort for registering interest to participate within the procurement exercise related to this PIN notice, but wish to stress that your involvement at this stage will not carry any commercial advantage in any ensuing procurement process.

•The contracting Authority intends to use an e-Tendering system for this procurement exercise and reserves the right to use a reverse auction.

•Variant bids may be accepted by AG CSU at their discretion provided that they meet the core requirements set out in the invitation to tender.

•Tenders and all supporting information must be priced in sterling and completed in English (or full translation provided at no cost).

•Any contract entered into, be considered a contract made in England in accordance with English Law and which shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts. •AGCSU or the contracting Authority participating within this procurement exercise shall not be liable for any costs by those expressing an inte