North East and North Cumbria Maternity and Neonatal; Digital Inclusion Discovery Service

North of England Commissioning Support (NECS) is working for and on behalf of NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) (the Contracting Authority) who wish to seek expressions of interest to deliver a Digital Inclusion Discovery Package for the North East and Cumbria region. The contract will be for a period of 2 months, commencing 1 March 2024 with a contract value of £25,000 inclusive of VAT.

The work package will cover the following areas: North Cumbria, Northumbria, Newcastle, Gateshead, South Tyneside & Sunderland, County Durham and Darlington, North Tees and South Tees.

Additional information: Technology has become an almost invisible part of most of our lives. Those in society who can easily access and use a digital device and mobile data can also access essential health-related information and services. However, digital exclusion in maternity is a barrier to women and families accessing timely, relevant, up-to-date information or services using technology and the internet.

While our LMNS Equity and Equality Action Plan is informed by robust analysis of equity data, there is a gap in our understanding of the scope, scale and impact of digital exclusion in maternity in the North East and North Cumbria. Where digital inclusion data is available, we are left to infer either its relevance to our region or its application to our maternity and neonatal population. In order to target our resources most effectively and avoid operating from assumption, further information is needed.

To that end, we are seeking to support our service improvement capability by commissioning a report that provides a snapshot that deepens our understanding of digital inequalities in the North East and North Cumbria and the priorities identified at a regional workshop held in December 2023.

Any organisations who would be interested in submitting a quotation for this contract must submit an expression of interest by answering the following question in the e-Tendering Portal, by 12 noon 15 January 2024. "Please confirm if you would like to register an interest in delivering the NENC LMNS Digital Inequalities in Maternity and Neonatal discovery report?". Only those organisations who answered the question by this date/time will be invited to submit a quotation.

In order to express an interest in this opportunity, organisations must register on the e-Tendering portal, Atamis and it can be accessed via: https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome. It is free to register on the portal and it can be accessed at any time of day providing you have a working internet connection. Should suppliers have any queries, or are having problems registering on the portal; they should contact the Atamis helpdesk via: [email protected] or call 0800 9956035

The helpdesk is open Monday - Friday between 8am and 6.00pm

Expressions of Interest must be submitted by 12:00 noon 15 January 2024.