NHS Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group Community Ophthalmic Services.

Descriptions

Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group is inviting expressions of interest from suitably qualified providers for the provision of Community Ophthalmic Services to the population of Bedfordshire.To invigorate change towards better value in healthcare locally, BCCG is adopting a fresh approach to commissioning which focuses on outcomes from both the patient and clinical perspective. Higher quality means better value and less waste, with patients getting the right care in the right place, first time.The prime contractor will be responsible for developing and delivering a consultant-led community ophthalmic services in areas such as glaucoma testing, post-surgical follow-up, primary care acute referral schemes, cataract monitoring, age-related macular degeneration review, paediatric conditions and low vision services. The successful Prime Contractor is expected to promote the use of primary care professionals with the appropriate skills to provide quicker access and choice.The service will need to make sure that people with eye conditions are triaged and appropriate conditions treated within the community, have access to high quality, effective and timely advice, assessment, diagnosis, treatment for their condition and, where appropriate, the onward referral of more complex cases.BCCG is looking for a model of service that supports the development of care pathways and the re-provision of outpatient activity from the hospital to the community setting.The successful Prime Contractor is expected to develop referral guidance and referral forms and ensure a seamless shift from secondary care. The development of interfaces with other relevant services and community professionals and the link with NICE pathways are also a requirement.The service will play an integral part in improving patient's experience of the NHS by ensuring that they receive high quality outpatient care without any delay. It places an emphasis on prevention and self-care with the patient as an active agent rather than a passive recipient.Providers are required to identify whether they are potential Prime Contract Holders or potential Sub Contractors. At this stage in the procurement, Expressions of Interest and PQQ submissions are only required from those organisations that consider themselves suitable prime contract holders. To help providers in determining whether they are a suitable prime contractor the following will apply:The prime contractor will be responsible for Ophthalmology care and clinical delivery along with the financial and budgetary management, budgetary analysis and overall contract management of the system pathway. The prime contractor will be required to deliver an integrated system pathway for Ophthalmology services that envisages the patient experiencing a seamless service across their entire journey. It is envisaged that the Prime Contracting body will be responsible for the performance and contract management of all sub-contractors in the pathway.Should providers consider they are suitable candidates then please ‘Express an Interest' and submit a completed PQQ by following the technical instructions in this advert.Potential sub-contractors should email their interest in joining a list of potential sub-contractors to the following email address: esther.pettigrew@bedfordshire.nhs.ukThe list of potential sub-contractors will be shared with potential prime contractors and it will therefore be the responsibility of prime contractors to contact any subcontractors from the list.