NHS Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) for the provision of Enhanced Imaging Referral Service

This is an Intention to Award Notice to award a contract using the Direct award C process under the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) regulations for NHS Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) for the provision of Enhanced Imaging Referral Service.

Community optometrists refer via a UHBW email which is triaged by the Hospital Trust clinical team, but there is no functionality to attach a full set of retinal images obtained by optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan, meaning all patients need to be seen face to face at University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. The Enhanced Imaging Referral Service pathway provides a digital solution to this issue.

The Enhanced Imaging Referral Service pathway is evidence-based and uses best practice guidance to improve the patient journey and clinical and cost-effectiveness for medical retina referrals. It will also capture quality and performance information. This should lead to a reduction in unnecessary referrals, releasing much needed secondary care appointments, ensuring patients are seen by the right service, at the right time and fully informed at point of referral. The enhanced imaging referral service should shift some parts of the existing pathway into primary care, closer to the patient. Providers across both primary and secondary care should work together to improve patient outcomes for patients being referred using this pathway.

The service is an end-to-end pathway across primary and secondary care utilising the skills of primary care optometrists, but delivering a more sustainable healthcare pathway closer to the patient by robustly integrating primary and secondary care.

Following on from a pilot scheme which was extended for a further 12 months which is due to end on 30th June 2026. To maintain continuity of service while ensuring the future model reflects local need, a time-limited direct award is proposed. This engagement will inform a subsequent competitive procurement to be lead by UHBW for a refreshed service model. This approach supports fair and transparent commissioning while ensuring that future service design is informed.

The contract period is 1st July 2026 to 31st March 2027. The total combined contract value is £35,000 (ex VAT)

The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be made to decision makers by midnight 30th June 2026.

This exercise was carried out by NHS BNSSG Integrated care board, supported by NHS South Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW), along with the publication of this notice.