Public procurement notice: Contract Award Notice
Published: 2017-10-20
Buyer: Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Open procedure
CPV classification: 85100000: Health services
Estimated value: 657850 GBP
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: The overarching aim of the Rheumatoid and Early Inflammatory Audit is the collection, analysis and effective reporting of robust comparative data on the quality of care and patient outcomes for newly referred rheumatoid and inflammatory arthritis patients being cared for in NHS secondary care rheumatology services in England and Wales.
The audit should be a mechanism to drive improvement within the NHS for the benefit of patients, their carers and those working to deliver care. Engagement with clinicians, patients and commissioners (both local and national) and regional networks is therefore essential in order to support improvements.
The overarching aim of the Rheumatoid and Early Inflammatory Audit is the collection, analysis and effective reporting of robust comparative data on the quality of care and patient outcomes for newly referred rheumatoid and inflammatory arthritis patients being cared for in NHS secondary care rheumatology services in England and Wales. The audit should be a mechanism to drive improvement within the NHS for the benefit of patients, their carers and those working to deliver care. Engagement with clinicians, patients and commissioners (both local and national) and regional networks is therefore essential in order to support improvements. The successful provider will build on the experience of the National Rheumatoid and Early Inflammatory Audit to provide a national clinical audit of NHS funded rheumatoid and early inflammatory arthritis care.
The ability to engage actively with patient and carer groups; experience of patient and public involvement,
Methodological and statistical expertise and experience to inform, data collection, data cleaning, analysis and interpretation of the data,
Information security/management skills including understanding/ experience of patient level data linkage and sound knowledge of information governance and procedures for gaining permissions for data processing,
The contract is for an initial period of 3 years at a maximum total budget of 658 750 GBP, excluding VAT and bids exceeding this limit may be rejected.
The contract is let initially to be delivered solely for England and Wales. However, there is potential both to extend the contract for a possible additional two years, continuing to cover England and Wales, subject to the availability of funding and an assessment by HQIP on the quality of delivery of the programme. In addition, there is a possibility that Scotland may elect to join the programme at a point of time in the future. The additional contract value that would be offered to support Scottish participation would be 62 420 GBP over 3 years pro rata excluding VAT. If Scotland joined early in the first year and the whole contract was then extended to the 5 years' total duration, the maximum contract value would be 1 201 950 GBP excluding VAT
Therefore the value of the contract being tendered is 658 750 GBP in the first instance, to a maximum value of 1 201 950 GBP excluding VAT.
NB. Bidders should submit their Schedule of Offer based on providing the audit for the initial three years for England and Wales only.
You will need to register and complete a supplier registration form prior to being able to access the tender documentation.


Winner: British Society of Rheumatology
Award value: 657850
Number of bids: 1