Children and Adult Wheelchair Service (CAWS) 18.434

South of England Procurement Services is acting on behalf of NHS High Weald Lewes Havens CCG, NHS Hastings and Rother CCG and NHS Eastbourne Hailsham and Seaford CCG.

Potential service providers are invited to respond to the Request for Further Information (RFI) for the provision of a Children and Adult Wheelchair Service (CAWS) .

Aims: The aim of the service is also to make sure service users optimise their mobility and independence and improve their quality of life through receiving timely access to appropriate assessment, provision and maintenance of equipment.

Objectives: The Wheelchair Charter, developed by the National Wheelchair Leadership Alliance identified a number of ambitions for wheelchair services which the service provider will need to adhere to. These are: • A person centred service that works in partnership with service users and their carers and makes the user/carer voice central to any design, innovation and service change. • Equality of access and provision for all, irrespective of age or postcode and including essential user skills training as standard. • Entry to the service via referral from an appropriately skilled professional. The time from referral to delivery will be at least within the constitutional right of 18 weeks • Assessments for all wheelchairs and associated postural support within nationally mandated timescales and priorities taking into account all aspects of individual needs including those of carers. • Establishing regular reviews with the user/carer according to their individual needs. • Prescriptions which take into account the current and future needs for all adults and children including those of carers. • Delivery, maintenance and emergency backup provided to nationally mandated timescales. • Innovative and flexible budgeting working with key partners to strengthen integration across health, social care, work and education, enabling the accommodation of individual needs, independence health and wellbeing. • Recruitment of qualified staff in respect of numbers and skills, with support for on-going development and training. • Supporting clinicians, manufacturers and independent organisations working together to develop innovative, affordable products and solutions.

This is a process designed to help the Commissioner form a view of the best way to commission the service and is not the beginning of a Tender exercise. A further tender advertisement will be issued at the appropriate time where required.

The RFI document is available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/soepscommissioning/aspx/Home.

Additional Information can be obtained from the above mentioned address.

Additional information: The deadline for submission of completed RFI's is 12 Noon on Thursday 24th January 2019.