Provision of Urgent Award Community Endoscopy Services on behalf of NHS Mid and South Essex ICB

There is a need for an urgent award of contracts for direct access endoscopy and for a period of 12 months (01st April 2025- 31st March 2026) to ensure the MSEFT have sufficient time to procure the CDC capacity. Risk to patient safety through increased (long) waiting times unless an arrangement is in place for 1 April 2025 as all direct access would then be referred into MSEFT who have confirmed they cannot absorb the activity within current capacity. An urgent award is required for continuity of service and safety of patients requiring direct access diagnostics.

A community based direct access endoscopy service for the population of Mid and South Essex. The service will include gastroscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy. The service will include providing uncomplicated diagnostic/treatment and surveillance endoscopy for non-urgent patients presenting with the following conditions: Dyspepsia, Reflux, Abdominal Pain, Diarrhoea, Change in bowel habit, Rectal bleeding and Haemorrhoids.

The current contract with the incumbent (Eastwood Community Endoscopy Centre) expires on 31st March 2025 and as a consequence there is a requirement to award a 12 month contract from 01st April 2025 to 31st March 2026.

The value is a £0 value contract – paid at local prices – planning value for 2024-25 is £3,285,527 which is subject to any uplift applied to 2025-26.