Early Engagement Notice for Community Urology Assessment and Treatment Service to NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire CCG

The Commissioner NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (BNSSG) seeks to commission a Community Urology Assessment and Treatment Service for Adults (18+), registered with a GP Practice in BNSSG. A future provider may be sought to provide the service from within the community in non-hospital settings linked to the GP localities within BNSSG.

The Community Urology Assessment and Treatment Service will provide a rapid access, one stop assessment and diagnostic service for routine urological conditions, delivered in non-hospital settings linked to the six GP Localities. The service will work in an integrated way with all other providers of urology services.

The service will need to facilitate integrated working between primary, community and secondary care. Six GP localities and eighteen Primary Care Networks are developing across BNSSG and the service will need to work closely with these groups of practices and linked community services.

As part of the work to transform outpatient services a new model of care for providing an integrated pathway has been developed with clinicians from primary, community and secondary care. The draft specification can be found attached to this notice.

The contract period will be for an initial 5 years with an option to extend up to a further 3 years. NHS South Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) seek feedback through the attached questionnaire on behalf of the Commissioner.

This process is being carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioner. Additional information: 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 the Commissioner 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. Any response to this notice does not form a commitment to participate in the future tender process, nor does it infer any special status on those providers who do respond.

Interest in this market exercise will not automatically entitle involvement in any future procurement exercise. Any procurement conducted as a result of this engagement will be advertised separately and all organisations wanting to participate will need to respond to any procurement advertisement as and when it is published.

The Commissioner 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 will consider in due course.

The services are healthcare services falling within Schedule 3 to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ("the Regulations") which are not subject to the full regime of the Regulations, but is instead governed by the "Light Touch Regime" contained within Chapter 3, Section 7 of the Regulations (Regulations 74 to 77). Any future tendering process will be conducted in accordance with the requirements and flexibilities provided by Articles 74 to 76 of the Directive, and Regulations 74 to 76 of the Regulations.

The Authority will run any tender process in a transparent manner, treating all bidders equally. For the avoidance of doubt, the Authority will not be bound by the Regulations or the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union or any other regulations or legislation except for the specific parts or circumstances that apply to the procurement of these Services.