NHS Medway CCG Autistic Spectrum Conditions Diagnostic Assessment Service

This Future Opportunity Notice is published as part of NHS Medway CCG's initial procurement and market engagement process.

The services are to be provided to the patients covered by NHS Medway CCG. Services must be provided from premises within the geographic area of Kent and Medway.

Payment is based on individual completed diagnostic review and report.

To note with reference to Section 2 - Value Information :

Contract value - this is a cost per case contract dependent on referral so the values can be higher or lower than the advertised averaging value.

The stated budget for the Financial Year 2019 / 2020 is based on a cost per case assessment of 5 cases per month for NHS Medway CCG only. Future costs will be capped subject to a performance / inflationary agreed annual budget figure at the outset of the contract. No minimum number of assessments, or a minimum contract value is guaranteed.

Due to the fluctuations in referral patterns, the contractual arrangement will be open to adjacent ( i.e. other Kent and Medway ) CCGs as a referral pathway in order to assist with maintaining service continuity for NHS Medway CCG patients and in turn adjacent CCGs. This will be on the basis that the adjacent CCG manage their own payment and referral process with the provider with no recourse to NHS Medway CCG other than the normal contractual monitoring requirement as lead commissioner. In turn, the provider remains responsible for managing patient flows in the most economic and efficient manner in order to reduce the likelihood of waiting lists developing due to insufficient allocated resource to meet demand. Individual CCG's remain responsible for their own performance information supplied in support of invoices or activity.

The present single provider arrangements were implemented to reduce the risk that patients would be adversely affected and the CCG and Council found to be in breach of statutory duties under the Autism Act 2009 and NICE Quality Standards 2014 if an assessment and diagnosis service for Adult ASC was not in place from 1st April 2017. The new contract aims to be:

• compliant with national requirements; • flexible enough to react to changing service pathways as the CCG and Council develop wider services such as the neurodevelopmental pathway; and • to give the procured service provider surety over service provision for a reasonable contractual period with sufficient activity to provide economic services.

The service is being procured in line with current service requirements, activity flows and in line with contract procedures.

All information provided in this Future Opportunity Notice is indicative, and subject to change.

The CCG is being assisted with the procurement elements of this project by NHS Commercial Solutions

Additional information: A draft service specification is attached to assist potential providers in considering whether the required services are within their capabilities and capacity.

Any potential provider wishing to express interest in this potential procurement at this stage is asked to email the following email address :

[email protected]

with appropriate organisational contact details. Please use "Expression of Interest - NHS Medway CCG ASC Procurement" in the header line. The Commissioner does NOT require any promotional or background information to be submitted at this stage. All those expressing interest will be contacted when the Commissioner is in a position to advise next steps.