Provision of Electronic Eyecare Referral System to NHS Kent and Medway CCG on behalf of NHS England and NHS Improvement South East Region

NHSX have created a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) to enable the rapid transformation of new referral management pathways for ophthalmology patients. NHS Kent and Medway CCG have awarded a contract for an Electronic Eyecare Referral System on behalf of NHS England and NHS Improvement South East Region via the DPS.

This Procurement process is looking to address and improve the connectivity that links primary care optometry and the hospital eye service which is seen as key to improving eye care services in England.

The ambition is to have numerous trained and well-equipped primary care optometrists with the ability to make clinical decisions based on quantitative and imaging clinical data. This will provide significant opportunities to use digital connectivity to improve eye care.

NHSX considers digital solutions that increase connectivity between different providers of eye care horizontally and vertically, and across primary and secondary care, to be a key enabler for the national outpatient transformation programme. This will rapidly restore and ensure continuation of eye care services during COVID-19 and transform how services are delivered in the future.

The South East Region consists of six Integrated Care Systems and Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships, 30 NHS trusts and 17 Clinical Commissioning Groups.

Three ICS/CCGs are in scope during the initial contract term: Kent and Medway CCG, Sussex CCG and Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire and Berkshire West CCG.

This procurement process was facilitated by the NHS England National and Commercial Procurement Hub (commissioned from the SCW CSU) on behalf of the Commissioners.

Additional information: Previous publication: 2020/S 230-568420