Termination of Pregnancy (ToPS) and Vasectomy Services (Birmingham & Solihull) - Market Engagement

NHS Birmingham Cross City CCG on behalf of itself, Birmingham South Central CCG and Solihull CCG is looking to engage with organisations who are potentially interested in providing a Termination of Pregnancy Service or a Vasectomy Service (or both).

Service Scope: The service will provide termination of pregnancies that are safe and effective and in accordance with timescales and to take into account the health and circumstances of the individual service users, particularly to reduce repeat terminations, unintended pregnancies, and promoting better sexual health.

The objectives of the service will be:

• To offer high quality, impartial support and advice to all service users seeking a termination of pregnancy, regardless of age, ethnicity, language, disability, sexual orientation, religious or personal circumstances.
• To ensure service users are able to access terminations of pregnancy as early as possible, by offering choices and providing clear impartial information about choices.
• To provide termination of pregnancy methods clinically appropriate for a service user's gestation and clinical circumstances.
• To improve the sexual health of service users through screening and treatment of sexually transmitted infections e.g. Chlamydia.
• To provide information and advice on all methods of contraception and to supply the full range of reversible contraceptive methods.
• To provide vasectomy services, including high quality, impartial support and advice to all service users seeking a vasectomy, regardless of age, ethnicity, language, disability, sexual orientation, religious or personal circumstances.

The potential total value of the ToPS service(s) across Birmingham and Solihull is anticipated to be circa £1,700,000 per annum and £345,000 per annum for vasectomy services.

This market engagement will consist of a request to complete a questionnaire (attached to this notice) and also a market engagement event, which is expected to be held on 11th December 2017.

This market engagement process is designed to help inform the CCGs and to aid the Commissioner in determining the service model going forward, with the aim of a procurement process taking place to have a new service in place from 1st October 2018.

The purpose of the engagement is to assess capability and interest in delivering the service going forward. Birmingham Cross City CCG, as the lead Commissioner, will use the information provided from this engagement to compile the final service model and procurement strategy, however, whilst all information provided will be taken into consideration the final decision regarding the service model and procurement approach will be entirely at the discretion of the commissioners.

Additional information: The commissioners wish to hear from potential providers who believe they are able to deliver all or some of the required services which include:

• Early Medical Terminations up to 9+6 weeks
• Terminations between 10 to 19 weeks
• Terminations between 19 to 23+6 weeks
• Unplanned pregnancy and termination advice and booking service (for impartial advice, ultrasound and counselling services in the community setting and booking of procedures)
• Single/Lead Provider of all of the above services
• Vasectomy Services

The Commissioners ask that providers complete the questionnaire attached to this notice and return it, via email, by 5.00pm on Tuesday 7th November to richard.ward11@nhs.net.

Please ensure you include (copy and paste) the following reference in the subject line of the email: 'Project_871 BSOL - ToPS Market Engagement'.

In addition, the commissioner also intends to hold a market engagement event on 11th December 2017.

If you wish to attend this event, please ensure that you complete the relevant part of the questionnaire (Section B) and email to richard.ward11@nhs.net. Further market engagement event details (i.e. time and venue) will be emailed to the providers who have submitted a questionnaire as per the above instructions.

Please note that this notice relates to pre-procurement Market Engagement only and is not a call for competition. The commissioners currently expect to advertise the full procurement before the end of January 2018, with an indicative service commencement date of the 1st October 2018. This market engagement does not commit the commissioner to undertake any subsequent procurement process for the service.

Participation or non-participation in any early engagement does not entitle, commit, or disbar any provider from participating in any subsequent procurement process for the service.

Any subsequent procurement for the service will be advertised separately. Any provider wishing to participate will need to respond to any subsequent notice as appropriate.