Market Engagement Questionnaire NHS Community Pharmacy IT Systems

NHS E/I are exploring the establishment of a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for referral systems to support the Community Pharmacy Consultation Service (CPCS). CPCS referral systems solutions are currently centrally funded, however pharmacy contractors will be required to fund these from April 2021.

To facilitate this and to ensure that appropriate system requirements are met, NHS E/I are seeking to establish a DPS in January 2021. Pharmacy contractors will begin to procure from the new DPS as soon as the establishment phase is completed.

Attached to this notice is a market engagement questionnaire, which NHS E/I are inviting suppliers to complete and which will inform the development of the Technical Specification and also the establishment of the DPS. NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHS E/I) wish to support a market place for the providers of software solutions which are able to deliver the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) services such as NHS Community Pharmacy Consultation Service (CPCS) in England.

NHS E/I propose the creation of a DPS which will ensure that supplier solutions meet requirements and to provide a practical and secure route to market for customers and suppliers. The NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) was commissioned as an Advanced Service from 29th October 2019, with the expectation that additional strands to the service will continue to be tested, developed and introduced into the contract.

At the time of the service commencement for the specified IT solutions, the referrals will be made by NHS 111 or the Integrated Urgent Care Clinical Assessment Services (IUC CAS) and General Practice. NHS E/I are seeking to establish a DPS to outline entry level requirements.

Pharmacy contractors will then be able to introduce additional requirements through the development of specifications which will support further tendering opportunities under the DPS. NHS E/I have been exploring the development of a specification, which would determine the entry requirements to the DPS.

To continue this exploratory work and to consider further elements relating to the establishment of a DPS, NHS E/I are inviting feedback from existing and potential suppliers. Included within this notice is a market engagement questionnaire, with feedback invited by 12.00 noon on 16 November 2020.

Additional information: Interested providers will be able to view this notice via the 'current tenders' list on the e-procurement system InTend, available on the following link: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/scwcsu/aspx/Home In order to submit a bid, you will need to be registered on the e-procurement system and 'express an interest', and then complete a response as specified within the procurement documents. On registration, please include at least two contacts to allow for access to the system in times of absence. The services are deemed to be subject to the full regime of current EU procurement legislation and as such this tender will be conducted in accordance with, and governed by, the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended).