Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group - Community Cardiology Services

Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group (BSW CCG) are seeking to commission a provider to deliver an integrated Community Cardiology and Heart Failure Service across Wiltshire.

The service will include:

1. Community cardiology diagnostics
2. Community cardiology assessment and advice service
3. Community heart failure service
4. Heart failure lifestyle optimisation, self-management and rehab

The objectives are:

1. Provision of a community cardiology diagnostic service, to reduce the need for patients to travel for simple diagnostics
2. Provision of a community cardiology assessment and advice service focused on supporting Primary Care led cardiology care
3. Establishment of Heart Failure Specialist Nurse led diagnostic service for patients with NT-proBNP > 400 with suspected heart failure or with pre-existing echocardiographically proven diagnosis
4. Introduction and titration to target of evidence-based treatments to slow disease progression and decrease the incidence of sudden death
5. Reduction in unnecessary outpatient follow-up at acute trusts and reduction in re-admissions for decompensated heart failure
6. Early identification of patients following admission to hospital for heart failure requiring management with prioritization of those at high risk of further events or re-admissions
7. Advancing quality end of life care for heart failure patients, including appropriate liaison with Palliative Care Services.

Whilst elements of these services are currently delivered by different providers across Wiltshire the incoming provider must build upon the current provision and deliver a fully integrated Community Cardiology and Heart Failure Services to all eligible patients registered with a GP in Wiltshire. During Mobilisation the incoming provider will need to ensure that currently delivered services are seamlessly transitioned and are delivered from day one. The provider will be afforded a transition period to bring all services online within the first 6 months of contract.

The commissioner is making a budget of £50,000 available for mobilisation and £765,000 per annum for service delivery. The total contract value for the 3 year Contract is £2,345,000. At the end of the initial contract term the Commissioners will have an extension option for any number of periods up to a maximum of a further 2 years available which will be awarded at their discretion, giving a maximum possible contract value of £3875,000 exclusive of reclaimable VAT, over 5 years if the full contract term is fulfilled.

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

Additional information: Interested providers will be able to view this notice via the 'current tenders' list on the e-procurement system In-Tend, available on the following link: in-tendhost.co.uk/scwcsu/aspx/Home ↗

In order to submit a bid, you will need to be registered on the e-procurement system and 'express an interest', and then complete a response as specified within the procurement documents.

On registration, please include at least two contacts to allow for access to the system in times of absence.

The services are healthcare services falling within Schedule 3 to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ("the Regulations") which are not subject to the full regime of the Regulations but is instead governed by the "Light Touch Regime" contained within Chapter 3, Section 7 of the Regulations (Regulations 74 to 77).

The tendering process will be conducted in accordance with the requirements and flexibilities provided by Regulations 74 to 76 of the Regulations. The Authority will run a transparent tender process, treating all Bidders equally. For the avoidance of doubt, the Authority will not be bound by the Regulations or any other regulations or legislation except for the specific parts or circumstances that apply to the procurement of these Services.

Neither the inclusion of a Bidder selection stage, nor the use of any language or terms found in the Regulations, nor the description of the procedure voluntarily adopted by the Authority ("Open", "Restricted", "Competitive Procedure with Negotiation", "Competitive Dialogue" or any other description), nor any other indication, shall be taken to mean that the Authority intends to hold itself bound by the Regulations, save by the provisions applicable to services coming within the scope of Schedule 3 of the Regulations.

The Contracting Authority intends to voluntarily observe the award decision notices provisions and 10 day standstill period described in Regulation 86 of the Regulations. Unsuccessful Bidders will receive scores and reasons for the decision, including the characteristics and relative advantages of the winning bid and the reasons why the Bidder/application was unsuccessful. Deadline for lodging of appeals should be in accordance with Regulation 87 and Regulation 91 of the Regulations.