Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2016-05-24
Buyer: NHS Commissioning Board (NHS England South (South East)) (documents via https://in-tendhost.co.uk/scwcsu/aspx/Home)
Country: UK
Region: Surrey
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Open procedure
CPV classification: 85000000 | 85100000: Health services
Estimated value: 7503608 GBP
Submission deadline: 2016-07-01
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: NHS England seek to commission a Diabetic Eye Screening Programme for the residents of Surrey. The contract will serve a population of around 1 000 000, of whom 52 000 are eligible individuals over the age of 12 currently identified as diabetics in need of screening. Estimates suggest that there are a further 8 000 people who may be as yet undiagnosed. Currently about 80 % of people invited attend for screening.
The successful bidder will be required to deliver a screening programme which is fully compliant with all relevant national standards and pathways and which include the following elements:
— Identification and invitation of the eligible diabetic population for screening at regular/appropriate intervals (i.e. call/recall) in accordance with national guidance;
— Provision of Digital Surveillance Clinics, clinics with Slit Lamp Biomicroscopy (SLB) assessments within the commissioned service in accordance with national guidance;
— Referral of service users to appropriate Hospital Eye Services/Treatment Services in accordance with nationally agreed protocols and treatment pathways.
The population served by the programme will be those covered by the following 6 CCGs: NHS East Surrey, NHS Guildford and Waverley, NHS North East Hampshire and Farnham (Farnham area only), NHS North West Surrey, NHS Surrey Heath and NHS Surrey Downs.
Whilst there are no specific changes to the geographic footprint and population covered by this service anticipated at this point, the provider must be prepared to work with commissioners to implement any such alterations that do arise due to developments during the life of the contract.
A prior information/early engagement notice was published in relation to this procurement in February 2016, seeking expressions of interest. Please note that this previous notice was an information gathering exercise rather than a call for competition in its own right. Although those who responded to that notice will be advised that this contract notice has been published, there will be no process exemptions or preferential treatment afforded to any parties who expressed an interest at that stage.
NHS England will not be liable for costs incurred by any interested party in participating in this process.
Interested parties who wish to take part in the procurement are invited to take part in an Invitation To Tender (ITT) process, based on the Open procedure, and designed to identify the Most Economically Advantageous Tender and therefore determine the incoming provider.
In order to access the tender documentation, you will need to ‘express an interest’ and register on the system for full access. Bidders are required to respond to questions directly within In-Tend and attach any requested documents separately to the place-holders provided.
The Services are healthcare services within the meaning and scope of Annex XIV of Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (the Directive) and Schedule 3 to the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (the Regulations). 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.
Parent company and other guarantees may be required in certain circumstances, see the ITT for further details.
The Services are healthcare services within the meaning and scope of Annex XIV of Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (the Directive) and Schedule 3 to the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (the Regulations). 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.

Eligibility requirements: As stated within procurement documentation. As per III.2.1) above. As per III.2.1) above.
As per III.2.1) above.