Procurement for the Provision of a Community Non-Obstetric Ultrasound Service to Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (ICB)

Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB) are seeking bids for a non-obstetric community diagnostic ultrasound service across both regions. The procurement is being undertaken as two lots, Lot 1 to cover Oxfordshire and Lot 2 for Buckinghamshire. The commissioner is looking for providers who can deliver a safe and clinically effective service that will provide rapid local access to diagnostic non-obstetric ultrasounds for patients registered within the specified population.

The service will need to:  be provided across multiple locations to make it easily accessible to the people across the whole of the area they are covering.  adopt a whole systems approach to the delivery of care and ensure services are safe, effective, patient centred, timely, efficient and equitable.  be directly accessible for GPs and other qualified primary care professionals within the respective areas and will be requested via the electronic referral system.  accept referrals from other providers within the local healthcare system or the Out of Hours Service.  be compliant with all regulatory requirements and, where appropriate, will require CQC registration to be maintained throughout the contract period.

The non-obstetric diagnostic ultrasound service the ICB is looking to commission will include the following: • Upper/General abdominal ultrasound scans- includes assessment of the aorta (including screening of first-degree relatives of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm), biliary tract, gallbladder, inferior vena cava, kidneys, liver, pancreas, retroperitoneum, and spleen • Pelvic Ultrasound Scans - including transabdominal and transvaginal • Renal / bladder / prostate scans • Scrotal / testicular ultrasound scans • Musculoskeletal (as referred by the MSK MATT service) • Vascular (excluding suspected DVT)

Exclusions to the service include: • Patients not registered with a Buckinghamshire/Oxfordshire GP • Patients under 18 years of age • Inappropriate referrals that are not suitable for this service • Private patients • Patients requiring immediate referral to secondary care • Thyroid examinations • Lumps and bumps (Head and Neck) • Emergency Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAAs) • Obstetric care • Ultrasound guided procedures • Hernias where there is no diagnostic doubt • Superficial masses or lumps in the axilla or groin The contracts are for 3 years with the option to extend for 2 further years and are anticipated to commence on 1st February 2023.

Additional information: Atamis: Interested providers will be able to access the full Invitation to Tender documents via the 'Live Opportunities' list on our e-procurement system, Atamis, available at the following link: https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome

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 is instead governed by the "Light Touch Regime" contained within Chapter 3, Section 7 of the Regulations (Regulations 74 to 77).

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.

The Contracting Authority intends to voluntarily observe the award decision notices provisions and 10 day standstill period described in Regulation 86 of the Regulations.