Thames Valley Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service.

Descriptions

Thames Valley Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services Tender.Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (“CCG”) (on behalf of a consortium of NHS organisations in Thames Valley which also includes Chiltern CCG, Aylesbury Vale CCG, Slough CCG, Bracknell and Ascot CCG, Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead CCG, Newbury and District CCG, North and West Reading CCG, South Reading CCG, Wokingham CCG, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust) is tendering for a single provider of a Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (“PTS”) for the registered general practice population of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire to and from agreed treatment centres within those counties. The approximate number of PTS journeys over the last financial year was c. 314 000 across the region. The contract will run for a period of 5 years with the group having the option to extend for a further 2 year period.The specific elements that the group intends to tender in a single solution are as follows:1. Patient transport booking service (Telephony and web based appointment booking) for health professionals and patients including:a. Transport booking in advance of the required date (up to and including 24 hours in advance of the day);b. On the day / short notice transport booking to support the needs of the local health economy including but not restricted to discharges from a hospital setting;c. Defined timeslots for picking up patients requiring transportation to or from treatment;d. An internet based appointment booking system to enable approximately 80 % of bookings by health professionals to be made electronically;e. Screening of patients for whom transport is requested in accordance with Eligibility criteria set by the CCGs applied to bookings made both via telephone and electronically;f. A Free-phone or local rate telephone number (subject to negotiation with commissioners) for patients to contact the service via a single route into the telephony service.The telephony transport booking service is required to operate between 07:00-22:00 7 days a week.2. Routine patient transportation for Outpatient and Day-patient appointments by single or multi-occupancy vehicles, including by wheelchair, electric wheelchair and by stretcher. Such appointments will predominantly be booked in advance, including but not limited to:a. Oncology (chemotherapy and radiotherapy);b. Renal treatment (including dialysis and transplantation);c. Deep Vein Thrombosis clinics;d. Musculoskeletal clinics;e. Neurological clinics.Transportation for eligible patients is required for Outpatient and Day patient appointments 7 days a week 06:00 to 22:003. Urgent care pathway patient transportation, by single or multi-occupancy vehicles, including wheelchair, electric wheelchair and by stretcher. Bookings will be made in advance and on the day for, but not limited to:a. Discharges to home from rapid assessment settings (e.g. A&E);b. Discharges to home from bedded care settings (acute and community);c. Inter-hospital transfers (within Oxfordshire);d. Dedicated transport to and from the Oxfordshire Emergency Multidisciplinary Units;e. Transport to and from the Multi-disciplinary Day Assessment Service at Wycombe Hospital.Transportation will be required for eligible patients between the hours of 6:00 to 2:00. The service may be required to provide transport on a more limited basis between 2:00 to 6:00 although this will be discussed with bidders at the Invitation to Tender stage. Booking of transportation for the urgent care pathway will be required predominantly on the day.4. Complex patient transportation for Outpatient, Day-patient and urgent care pathways, including but not limited to:a. Bariatric patient care;b. With continuous oxygen therapy;c. By stretcher or wheelchair with complex needs;d. By hoist / sling (e.g. Southampton sling);e. Management during transportation by clinically qualified staff.The service will be expected to provide a range of vehicles suitable to meet the needs of patients described above.Transportation will be required for eligible patients between the hours of 6:00 to 2:00. The service may be required to provide transport on a more limited basis between 2:00 to 6:00 although this will be discussed with bidders at the Invitation to Tender stage.5. Dedicated transportation for the multi-disciplinary day unit at Wycombe Hospital and Berkshire community sites including the Rapid Access Community Clinic.Full details of required sites will be provided in the ITT.6. Out of county transportation / patient repatriationTransport will be required for out of county patients (those that are not registered with a GP practice within the Thames Valley footprint) being repatriated to their local district general hospital or home address. This transport is usually required at short notice and the provider will arrange movement on the same day as beds in the receiving hospital become available.Securing the funding for these journeys will be the responsibility of the provider as they are not commissioned by the group (as the patient is not registered with an eligible GP and therefore is the responsibility of another CCG). In these instances the provider will have to agree funding with the patient's relevant CCG in advance of travel.Transport will be required for eligible patients registered with a GP practice within the relevant Thames Valley footprint being treated in a healthcare facility outside of the boundary that require repatriation to a Thames Valley bedded care facility or their home address. These journeys will be funded by the appropriate member of the group.Transportation for this patient group will be on an ad hoc basis and is therefore unpredictable.Additional information:— Bidders will be assessed at Pre-Qualifying Questionnaire stage against their capability to provide the service elements described above;— The provider will ensure that all staff employed in the service with direct patient contact (including by telephone) have been subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check;— The provider will ensure all staff maintain professional registration (where required) and undertake regular training and evaluation as required;— The group members and their providers participate in a comprehensive system resilience and escalation framework to ensure the safe and effective delivery of health care services at times of increased demand or reduced capacity. The provider of Patient Transport services will participate in escalation and resilience measures across Thames Valley as necessary including regular attendance at relevant meetings or teleconferences;— The availability of transport will be sufficient to manage predictable and unpredictable surges in demand. The provider will profile demand and corresponding transport capacity for each day to take account of seasonal fluctuations and in particular the increased demand for NHS services during winter months, where the provider will be required to provide additional vehicles in comparison to other parts of the year;— For all services, the provider will produce data relating to service provision on a regular or ad hoc basis as required by any member of the group;— TUPE/COSOP is expected to apply to this service — further details will be provided at the ITT stage;— Tenders will be assessed using the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) criteria, with overall weightings for Quality and Cost. Quality is expected to be weighted at 70 % and Cost 30 % though these have not yet been finalised. These elements are also likely to have weighted sub-criteria. Full details of the scoring system and weightings will be provided in the ITT documentation.Expressions of Interest.The procurement will be conducted via the www.nhssourcing.co.uk e-tendering website. If you are interested in tendering for this opportunity, please access the website and register your organisation.Once organisations have registered on the above website they will be given access to the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire and related documents. Please note that if you are intending to take part in this process as a consortium you must register on the e-tendering website as that consortium and only complete one PQQ.All applicants will be asked to complete and return the PQQ (via the website) by 17:00 on 27.3.2015, at the latest.Following assessment of the PQQs, short-listed applicants will be given access (via the website) to the full ITT documentation and invited to tender for the service.Should you require any assistance in accessing or registering on the e-tendering website please contact the Bravo eTendering Help-desk — Phone +44 8003684850 and/or email help@bravosolution.co.uk