Minor Eye Conditions Service - Direct Award (Ref 17.397) on behalf of NHS Eastbourne Hailsham and Seaford CCG and NHS Hastings and Rother CCG

This is a direct award prior information notice with call for competition. NHS Eastbourne, Hailsham & Seaford CCG, and Hastings & Rother CCG intend to direct award a contract to Primary Eyecare Sussex (PEC) commencing 1st April 2018 for a period of 12 months (with an option to extend for a further 6 months). Please refer to the document available on our portal for further information containing the reason for this approach.

Eastbourne, Hailsham & Seaford and Hastings & Rother CCGs are exploring a programme of whole system redesign in ophthalmology services, which aims to build on the existing MECS and offer greater diagnostics and monitoring to patients closer to home.

A Minor Eye Conditions Service (MECS) increases the choice of provider available to patients, providing treatment options closer to home whilst increasing efficiency at the acute Trust for more complex procedures and reducing waiting times.

Patients with the following symptoms are able to access the MECS: Loss of vision including transient loss, Sudden onset of blurred vision (unless a sight test is more appropriate), Ocular pain or discomfort, Systemic disease affecting the eye, Differential diagnosis of the red eye, Foreign body and emergency contact lens removal (not by the fitting practitioner), Dry eye, Epiphora (watery eye), Trichiasis (in growing eyelashes), Lumps and bumps in the vicinity of the eye (for differential diagnosis), Recent onset of diplopia, Flashes/floaters, Retinal lesions, and Patient reported field defects.

Further information about the rationale for this direct award is contained within the document available by following the link to our portal: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/soepscommissioning .

If any provider believes they are capable of delivering and mobilising the services for April 2018, for an interim period of 12 months, please express an interest via the correspondence messaging service on the portal. If you would like to raise a clarification question please do so also using the correspondence messaging service on the portal.

This is a contract for light touch services under the section 7 of the public contract regulations 2015 to be awarded as per procurement patient choice and competition regulations.

Additional information: All correspondence must be sent via the portal at https://in-tendhost.co.uk/soepscommissioning using the correspondence messaging facility.