Community Audiology Services Market Engagement Event for Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group & Buckinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group

NHS Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Buckinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group (the commissioners) invites expressions of interest (EOI) from suitably qualified and experienced providers, including third sector and social enterprise organisations, private and NHS organisations, to attend a market engagement event regarding community audiology services across the two counties. This service will be commissioned as part of Audiology in the community and will focus on delivering low complex audiology services in the community which will serve as an alternative to secondary and to complement initial self-management and primary care.

Close joint working with other healthcare services, such secondary care (acute) NHS providers and primary care (GP), is imperative to the success of the delivery of this service and will be made available to all patients registered with GPs in the area. It is currently envisaged that the commissioners will hold a contract with the prime provider, who in turn can directly provide care and/or subcontract care to other specialist providers.

The prime provider will also be responsible for ensuring that service operates in an integrated way whilst delivering seamless care pathways. The contract is expected to commence on 1st July 2020.

The aim of the event is to: • Engage with providers and facilitate providers networking with each other. • Work with potential bidders to understand opportunities and barriers. • Inform the commissioning process and procurement strategy. Further information on the event will be provided to registered organisations.

In the event you are unable to attend but would like to receive a copy of any presentation materials, please complete the provider sounding questionnaire and email it to donnaharrington@nhs.net and copies of the presentation material will be sent to you. An expression of interest to attend this MEE is no indication of a commitment to participate in any future tender process nor does it infer any special status on those Providers who do attend.

An expression of interest in this event will not automatically entitle involvement in any future procurement exercise. Any procurement conducted subsequent to the event will be advertised separately and all organisations wanting to participate will need to respond to the procurement advertisement as and when it is published.

Providers who do not attend this MEE will still be able to apply for the Procurement in the future. Please note that this MEE does not represent a formal stage in the procurement process and attendance will play no part in any subsequent evaluation process.

Additional information: This procurement is being carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioners. This notice is an information gathering exercise rather than a call for competition in its own right, and therefore publication or response does not commit Oxfordshire CCG and Buckinghamshire CCG or respondents to a future procurement, nor provide any process exemptions or preferential treatment to any parties expressing an interest.

Commissioners are looking to establish what interest there might be in providing such a service from suitably qualified, capable and competent organisations. NHS Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Buckinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group will not be liable for costs incurred by any interested party in participating in this exercise. Interested parties should note that a response to this notice does not guarantee an automatic invitation to any subsequent formal procurement, which the commissioners may consider in due course.