NHS Leeds West CCG (on behalf of 3 Leeds CCGs): ENT and Adult Hearing AQP

There have been successful community consultant-led ENT services in Leeds for the past six years, and hearing aid provision and aftercare being delivered at a wide range of locations for the past three years. In line with the city's aspirations to continue to reduce attendances in secondary care sites where it is clinically appropriate and cost effective to do so, we wish to continue to provide services in these treatment settings, which provide more convenient access for patients.

The principle aim of the service is to provide local consultant-led community ENT services for the diagnosis, management and treatment of ENT problems, which complement and work in partnership with existing primary, community and secondary care ENT.

ENT: The community ENT service will deliver a range of services traditionally delivered in a secondary care setting for patients aged 5 years and above. This will include the provision of audiometry in support of medical consultation. The provider will ensure audiology services will be in place to support all ENT clinic sessions into which patients with ear or hearing problems are booked. The service is not commissioned to deliver those services which form part of the essential and additional primary care services, such as basic aural hygiene. The services provided will include consultation, diagnosis and treatment planning, together with onward referral if the indicated treatment can only be undertaken in a Secondary Care setting.

All Leeds GP ENT referrals will be sent via e-referral to the Integrated Leeds ENT triage service separately commissioned by the CCG. This will provide an assessment and triage service which is led by an ENT Consultant and will triage all referrals within 2 working days

Hearing Loss: The main components of the hearing loss service are: hearing assessment and aid fitting (where required), follow-up and aftercare services for adults with suspected or diagnosed hearing loss. This will be for routine patients only. Audiology services for children under 17 or for complex patients who have one or more of the exclusion criteria (below) are not covered by this specification and should continue to be referred or redirected to the appropriate service at a local NHS Trust. Providers need to ensure clear and formal accountability processes and structures are in place to ensure a safe, effective and integrated continuity of clinical care for all patients.

The term of this contract will be on a cost per case basis as per the published tariffs. The Commissioners are currently considering new ways of commissioning and contracting for elective care and future arrangements for funding post 2020 are as yet not determined.

This is being tendered as a single lot with providers delivering both ENT & Adult Hearing Services. Neither service can be delivered on its own.

This is a 2 year contract with the option to extend for up to 2 further years (1+1)

Additional information: How to apply:

Potential Bidders are requested to register on the NHS Sourcing Portal (www.nhssourcing.co.uk) where the documentation is available to download under Project 21147

Costs are based on the full term of 2+1+1 (total possible 4 years)