NHS E South (SW) Diabetic Eye Screening Programme South West

NHS England South (South West) (the Commissioner) seeks to commission a Diabetic Eye Screening Programme service (DESP) for the populations of:

• Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
• Devon including Plymouth
• Torbay
• North Somerset
• Somerset
• Bristol
• South Gloucestershire
• Gloucestershire.

The eligible population includes patients diagnosed with Diabetes over the age of 12 registered with, or eligible to be registered with a GP in the identified geographies as well as individuals within prisons, secure units and the armed forces. The specific geographies upon which services will be procured is still subject to consultation.

This procurement is being carried out by NHS South, Central & West Commissioning Support Unit (SCWCSU) on behalf of the Commissioners.

The aim of the Diabetic Eye Screening programme is to reduce the risk of sight loss amongst people with diabetes by the prompt identification and effective treatment if necessary of sight threatening diabetic retinopathy. There are three key elements of service delivery namely:

• call/recall for all people with diabetes invited for routine digital screening - this is currently undertaken on an annual basis but will reduce during the contract term in line with national guidance,
• digital surveillance where individuals need more frequent screening and
• slit lamp biomicroscopy (SLB) for those individuals where normal photography is inappropriate e.g. suffering from cataracts.

The Commissioners seeks interest from suitably qualified and experienced providers (including third sector and social enterprise organisations, private and NHS) to provide the NHS Diabetic Eye Screening Programme to patients living and registered in the identified geographies. This procurement will be divided in to Lots.

It is envisaged that the tender documentation for the procurement of services will be available in June 2018, with an anticipated service commencement date for the Diabetic Eye Screening programmes from 1st April 2019. A separate advert will be published to alert interested parties when the tender documentation is available.

Two Market Engagement Events will be held to provide interested parties with further information about the procurements. These are as follows:

Wednesday, 6th June 2018 at 10 am; Venue Exeter Racecourse, Kennford, Exeter, Devon, EX6 7XS and Thursday, 7th June 2018 at 10 am, Venue Aztec Hotel and Spa, Almondsbury, Bristol, BS32 4TS

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