NHS England South East - Complex Terminations of Pregnancy Services (CTOPS)

This notice is published as a Prior Information Notice in order to determine the level of interest from providers in delivering terminations of pregnancy for patients presenting with medical or surgical complexity and / or significant co-morbidities ("Complex Terminations of Pregnancy Services" (CTOPS)), including up to late gestation.

Complex TOP services being commissioned consist of the two elements below. The intention is that delivery of these services will be undertaken as locally to the patient as possible:

• Medically complex TOP services (MTOP) • Surgically complex TOP services (STOP)

The market engagement process will help inform the contracting and commissioning approach, but NHS England South East ("the Commissioner") envisages the development of a network of providers to cover the South East region, including a provider (or providers) to act as lead(s) for the network.

The Commissioner seeks Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from providers who have the capability and capacity to deliver CTOPS. The Commissioner would like to understand provider interest in becoming members of the network delivering MTOP and STOP, as well as where providers might be interested in acting as a lead for the network.

It is the Commissioner's expectation that through the network lead, a regional MTOP and STOP Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) will be established on a weekly basis, for patients with significant medical problems.

It is the expectation that the model will meet the needs of the regional population, enabled by a network lead/s, including:

• A regional service for patients with significant medical and/or surgical complexities who cannot access either MTOP or STOP in their local units. • Distant medical support and advice to local teams (network members) to allow patients with some medical complexities to access MTOP or STOP in their local unit where possible. • A regional STOP service for patients beyond the STOP threshold of their local unit, i.e. later gestation STOPs, (up to 23 weeks + 6 days). • Training to in-region abortion care providers to enable wider and sustainable provision of later-gestation STOPs in the longer term.

It is envisaged that this service will have rapid direct access to specialists in medical fields, including cardiology and haematology, nephrology and neurology, and endocrinology, from across the local Trusts in the region.

Additional information: It is recognised that services may need to be supported by regional Placenta Accreta Spectrum (PAS) surgical services, tertiary complex gynaecology services, urology, vascular surgery, interventional radiology and Intensive Care.

The Commissioner is also giving consideration to potential interoperability opportunities between CTOPS and PAS, and what alignment / synergies there might be (if any). A PIN has already been issued for PAS and an engagement event is being planned.

Providers expressing an interest in this PIN for CTOPS are welcome to join the engagement event. Further details will be shared with those who express interest in CTOPS.

This notice is an information gathering exercise rather than a call for competition in its own right, and therefore publication or response does not commit NHS England or respondents to a future procurement (or process), nor provide any process exemptions or preferential treatment to any parties expressing an interest. NHS England will not be liable for costs incurred by any interested party in participating in this exercise.

Expressions of Interest received and the information provided within the questionnaire response will be used to help the Commissioner determine their commissioning and contracting approach for these services.

Providers who wish to express an interest must complete the market engagement questionnaire and attach to a message using the messaging function within Atamis by no later than 12:00pm 21st July 2023.

Interested providers will be able to view this opportunity via the live opportunities list on the 'Health Family' e-procurement system, Atamis. Click on 'View our Live Opportunities' from the home page, available on the following link: https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome.

Once you have found the opportunity (via the search function, using the title or reference number), to gain full access to the relevant information and market questionnaire you will need to click on 'Register interest' - this will take you to the log-in page.

If you are not already registered on the system, you will need to do so before gaining full access to the documentation and to be able to submit your expression of interest.

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).

This exercise is being carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioner.