Tender

Adult Critical Care Transfer Services (ACCTS) in the South East Region

NHS SOUTH, CENTRAL AND WEST COMMISSIONING SUPPORT UNIT

This public procurement record has 5 releases in its history.

TenderAmendment

14 Apr 2023 at 16:19

Tender Notice
TenderAmendment

05 Apr 2023 at 15:45

Tender Notice
TenderAmendment

08 Mar 2023 at 16:24

Tender Notice
Tender

25 Jan 2023 at 16:56

Tender Notice
Planning

14 Sep 2021 at 16:37

Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit is inviting bids for the Adult Critical Care Transfer Services (ACCTS) in the South East Region. The procurement is to establish a regionally based critical care transfer service providing coordination and transfer of critically ill patients. The contract period is for an initial 5 years, with a possible extension of 4 years, starting on 1st August 2023, and a total maximum contract value of £39,483,000 over the possible nine-year period. The tender deadline is 17th May 2023.

This tender presents an opportunity for healthcare service providers with experience in adult critical care services to compete. The procurement method is an open procedure, offering equal opportunities to all bidders. The maximum value of the contract is £6,155,400 per annum. The services are classified under health services falling within Schedule 3 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The buying organisation is the NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Adult Critical Care Transfer Services (ACCTS) in the South East Region

Notice Description

NHS England South East (The Commissioner) invites bids from providers who have the capability and capacity to host and deliver (either directly or via a subcontractor) the substantive service. The host should be an Acute Trust, or an Acute Trust in partnership with a Non-Acute Trust, currently commissioned/contracted to deliver adult critical care/ICU services. This Trust, or Trust partnership/consortium, will work collaboratively within a governance framework of an Adult Critical Care Transfer Service (ACCTS) Partnership Board to set up and host the ACCTS within the South East Region. The ACCTS will be a regionally based critical care transfer service providing consultant led coordination, decision-support and transfer of critically ill patients between hospitals for time critical and non-time critical escalation to specialist care, retrieval, repatriation, and non-clinical transfers for capacity during periods of surge. The ACCTS will provide transfer services for all NHS Acute Trusts within the South East regional geography (i.e. there will be a single contract covering the ICS regions of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West, Frimley Health and Care, Hampshire and Isle of Wight, Kent and Medway, Surrey Heartlands and Sussex). It is primarily focussed on intra region transfers but must be capable of delivering inter regional transfers and repatriations along patient tertiary referral pathways and during periods of surge capacity when the Adult Critical Care (ACC) service is under pressure. The commissioning of the ACCTS will provide a minimum standard of care and equitable access for all adult patients during transfers. The service is currently commissioned in an interim arrangement directly with an Ambulance Service Trust in the South East and a London Ambulance provider; this arrangement does not provide cover to the entire region with some areas undertaking alternative arrangements. As is described in the national toolkits, it is anticipated that the substantive service will be hosted and delivered by an Acute Trust or an Acute Trust in partnership with a Non-Acute Trust, with experience of delivering adult critical care services. The host will retain contractual and clinical responsibility for the delivery of the ACCTS. The operational and management activity of the ACCTS will be overseen collaboratively within a governance framework of an ACCTS Partnership Board, with representation from the host, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and NHSE (as a minimum) and where strategic collaborative decisions will be made about the set up and design of the service, as well as the long-term strategy and reporting. Please refer to the 'Additional Text' section for further information. The Call Handling and Control Centre (Single Point of Access) will operate 24 hours per day throughout the contract term, as per the updated service specification. This procurement is being carried out by NHS SCW on behalf of the Commissioners. Additional information: The ACCTS will operate as a standalone service, which means that whilst the host will hold the substantive or honorary contracts for clinical staff, staff must not function as part of a Critical Care Unit in terms of staffing, day-to-day function or interdependence. Staff must be independent and not have other clinical responsibilities whilst carrying out transfer shifts. The transfer service will initially operate an extended day time service to maximise cover across 14 hours of the day, although commissioners may wish to work with the provider to extend this during the life of the contract, should additional resource be identified. If so, the intention is that this would be undertaken by permitted contract variation following discussion and agreement between the Commissioner and the provider, provision having been made in this procurement for this to take place if required. The contracts will be let for an initial term of 5 years, with a possible extension of a further four years, as defined and at the discretion of the Commissioner. The contract is due to commence on 1st October 2023, with the aim being that transfer services are fully operational by 1st November 2023. The maximum value of the contract will be PS6,155,400 per annum, equating to a total maximum contract value of PS55,398,600 over the possible nine year period including extension. 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 are 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 Articles 74 to 76 of the Directive, and 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 the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union 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 Directive or 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 Directive or Regulations, save by the provisions applicable to services coming within the scope of Annex XIV of the Directive/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.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-8db9e890-1f91-4606-992d-99473fe4b4fa
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/758a26ed-62ab-44cf-8138-2b4adc574c41
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure (above threshold)
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85100000 - Health services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£55,398,600 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
14 Apr 20232 years ago
Submission Deadline
17 May 2023Expired
Future Notice Date
5 Oct 2021Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Aug 2023 - 30 Aug 2032 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NHS SOUTH, CENTRAL AND WEST COMMISSIONING SUPPORT UNIT
Contact Name
Tom Griffiths
Contact Email
scwcsu.procurement@nhs.net
Contact Phone
0117 984 1516

Buyer Location

Locality
READING
Postcode
RG1 7EB
Post Town
Reading
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ16 Berkshire West
Delivery Location
TLJ South East (England)
Local Authority
Reading
Electoral Ward
Abbey
Westminster Constituency
Reading Central

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts. 

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