Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2019-04-19
Buyer: NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Contract award without prior publication
CPV classification: 85121200: Specialist medical services
Estimated value: 550000 GBP

Technical requirements: NHS Wales Shared Services partnership wish to inform the market that they intend to extend a contract for insourcing of ophthalmology procedures.
NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, on behalf of Cardiff and Vale University Local Health Board wish to inform the market that they intend to extend a contract for insourcing of ophthalmology procedures.
The Health Board currently hold a contract with CESP to undertake insourcing of ophthalmology procedures. The contract was put in place to support additional activity required to reduce patient waiting times, reduce the risk of patients coming to irreversible harm, improve patient experience and to ensure the Health Board delivers its monthly Referral to Treatment Time (RTT) commitment made to Welsh Government in the health board’s integrated medium term plan.
The ophthalmology department need to achieve a zero greater than 36 week position and following an assessment of current demand versus available capacity, is unable to do so at this current time without the support of additional outpatient and treatment activity from an external provider. To ensure our patients are not disadvantaged and that the Heath Board can deliver on its monthly RTT commitments, there is an urgent need to extend insourcing activity.
The lead in time for procuring a new supplier is not conducive to this and the Health Board, therefore, wishes to extend the contract of a supplier currently in place. In addition to this, there are further justifications for continuing with the insourcing arrangement with CESP as follows:
— there is a real need for the activity – to support the reduction of waiting times, reduce the risk of patients coming to irreversible harm, improve patient experience and to support the delivery of RTT commitments to Welsh Government,
— the supplier is known and proven to the health board. There is no lead in time for mobilisation and there would be business continuity,
Whilst activity with this provider is ongoing under the contract extension, a new competitive tender will be issued to ensure the awarded provider has sufficient time to implement and mobilise their service in line with the ophthalmology department’s clinical governance and health board policies. This will align to a long term strategy for Cardiff and Vale patients in the reduction of waiting times whilst development of a high volume cataract centre for South East Wales is reviewed.
Based on the above, the health board is applying a 10 day standstill period prior to extending their current contract for a further 6 months.
NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership on behalf of Cardiff and Vale University Local Health Board will allow a minimum 10 calendar day standstill period between notifying the award decision and awarding the contract. Unsuccessful tenderers and applicants are entitled to receive reasons for the decision, including the characteristics and relative advantages of the winning bid and the reasons why the tenderer/applicant was unsuccessful. Should additional information be required it should be requested of the addressee in Section I.1. Aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by breach of the procurement rules have the right to take action in the High Court (England and Wales). Any such action is subject to strict time limits in accordance with the Public Contracts 2015 (Amendments).


Winner: CESP
Award value: 550000