Community Echocardiogram Service for Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) is seeking tenders from interested parties for a community diagnostics service specifically providing echocardiograms and Cardiac Event Monitoring (CEM). This service is to be delivered across several locations so as to be easily accessible to the whole of Oxfordshire.

The service will be directly accessible for all Oxfordshire GPs and will only be requested via e-referrals using OCCG Templates.

The Proposal

Objectives • To provide a local service for patients closer to home • To provide increased patient choice • To resolve patient outcomes more quickly • Compliance with NICE guidance and optimum management of patients • Reduction in referrals to the acute trust for diagnostic investigation and out-patient appointments • Reduction in duplication of treatment pathways • Integrated care pathways/holistic care

Expected Outcomes • Improved patient access to diagnostic services across the localities • Reduction in waiting times • Increased patient choice for services • Reduction in duplication of treatment pathways • Integrated care pathways/holistic care • Provision of care closer to home • Rapid, responsive service to facilitate optimum medical management • Good communications with referring GPs and acute Trusts, patients and carers • Continuity of care and shared learning amongst the MDT.

Scope of the service

The service will provide GPs with direct access to the following: Echocardiogram and report Echocardiogram with management plan delivered by GP cardiologist Cardiac Event Monitoring

Exclusions

Patients under 18 years of age. Acutely unwell patients (to be admitted to hospital via usual channels, not via this service). Treatments and interventions listed by Oxfordshire CCG as low priority should not be implemented without the specific written agreement of the referring GP and after appropriate approval has been obtained from the CCG. The service should only provide services in line with local and national clinical guidelines or based on best practice recommendations, such as NICE guidance. Inappropriate referrals where the request isn't the right choice of diagnostic. Patients who are medically unfit to undergo the diagnostic. Onward referral for private or alternative treatment should not be made without the explicit written agreement of the GP.

Location:

The echocardiogram service is to be provided across Oxfordshire with bases within all of the locality areas (See attached for locality map);

City North, North East, South East, South West and West

The contract is expected to be for three years with the option to extend for two further years, and will commence on 1st February 2018. The contract value stands with a confirmed total financial envelope of £382,208 for the initial three year period, but with a potential envelope of £787,705 (over three years) in the event the current Integrated Cardiology Service pilot is successful.

Bids must be received by 1pm 20/10/17.

Additional information: Further information regarding this process including a copy of the Invitation To Tender can be found on our e-procurement portal: (In-tend - https://in-tendhost.co.uk/scwcsu/aspx/Home) in the "Community Echocardiology - Bidder Guidance" document.

Please note that this service is a healthcare service within the meaning and scope of the National Health Service (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) (No.2) Regulations 2013 and as such is governed by these regulations and the "light touch" regime under the UK Public Contract Regulations 2015. The CCG will not be bound by any regulations beyond those which explicitly apply to procurements for such services and any references to processes or procedures (e.g. "the open procedure") should not be taken to mean the CCG intends to be held to any beyond those stated above.