Community Gastroenterology Services Prior Information Notice

North and Central and Trafford CCG commissioners wish to alert the market place to an upcoming contract opportunity to provide the above services.

The commissioners are seeking responses from viable providers who can work effectively across primary, secondary and tertiary care. Assurance of competence, quality, innovation and safety standards are required.

We wish to commission a high quality, comprehensive and efficient local Community Based Gastroenterology Service to commence in July 2016. The service will be consultant led, delivering the right care at the right time in the right place. Key outcomes include:

• Improved patient satisfaction/ experience; all patients will be seen within a maximum of six weeks of referral
• Improved access and waiting times: clinics should be accessible and to patients in both North and Central Manchester and Trafford CCG sites
• Improved pathways of care; 95% of patients to be seen in a one stop clinic.
• Increased threshold for referrals to secondary care; the service will effectively manage more patients resulting in few patients being referred to secondary care

The service will be for patients aged over 16 (registered with a North or Central Manchester or Trafford CCG GP) that meet the referral criteria. The service is NOT for emergency cases or suspected cancers or patients with a diagnosed long term condition, apart from where specified in the referral criteria.

The service model will reduce the number of steps in the care pathway for patients through the provision of a one stop service resulting in fewer referrals into secondary care. A one stop clinical model will be the default model, with diagnostic testing, clinical assessment and treatment completed in a single visit, except in exceptional circumstances where patient safety may be impacted; the provider will agree these criteria with commissioners. The service will also off direct access to endoscopy investigations for GPs to enable them to manage patients effectively within primary care.

The service will adopt an holistic approach for patients with gastrointestinal symptoms, this includes taking every opportunity to offer first line advice to patients, this includes:

• Simple lifestyle advice, including healthy eating, weight reduction and smoking cessation.
• Advice on the avoidance of known precipitants, associated with specific symptoms, where possible.
• Access to educational materials to support the care they receive.
• Referral to psychological therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy.
• Referral to dietician services.

We expect the service to be operational by 1st July 2016. The contract will be awarded for a term of 3 years, with an anticipated upper value of £5,100,00.

We are seeking expressions of interest from providers in relation to this opportunity. To express an interest in providing this service, please email ellie.tivinan@nhs.net by 5pm on Monday 28th September.

Additional information: The contract will be awarded for a term of 3 years and is anticipated to have an upper value of £5,100,000.

We expect the service to be provided within the geographical area of the three commissioning CCGs.

In terms of premises, providers should ensure that there is adequate space to include reception and waiting areas for patients, clinical assessment and examination areas, endoscopy and other diagnostic testing and decontamination.

The CCG is interested in hearing from providers that can provide either static or mobile services and those that are not limited to the standard Monday to Friday 9- 5pm model.

We have specified that the provider should be Joint Advisory Group for Gastrointestinal (JAG) Endoscopy accredited. This is a UK standard that all endoscopy units must achieve:

www.thejag.org.uk

We also expect all potential providers to comply with the CCGs’ Effective Use of Resources policies and for all prescribing to comply with the Greater Manchester Medicines Management Formulary.

To express an interest in providing this service, please email ellie.tivinan@nhs.net by 5pm on Monday 28th September.

This will be a restricted tender, and it is anticipated that a contract notice and PQQ documentation will be issued during October 2015. Please note that all information contained within this notice is indicative at this stage. The named CCGs reserve the right to amend or clarify any of the details contained within this notice as part of the tender documentation to be issued at a future date.

Please note that the CCG is currently seeking to alert the market place to this upcoming tender, and to gauge the level of interest in providing these services. An expression of interest in delivering these services is not a tender response. An expression of interest is no indication of a commitment to participate in the tender process nor does it infer any special status on those providers who do submit an interest. Potential providers who do not express an interest at this stage will still be able to apply in the future. All responses will be treated in confidence. This Expression of Interest does not commit any of the named CCGs to undertake the procurement of these services.