National Framework for Childhood Influenza (Window 2)

NHS Arden and Greater East Midlands CSU (NHS Arden & GEM CSU) on behalf of NHS England (referred to as the Commissioners) is inviting suitably qualified and experienced providers to deliver the services. Delivery of the childhood flu vaccination programme is intended to interrupt the number of cases, circulation and transmission of flu within the community.

The economic case accepted by the JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccine and Immunisation) was that this programme could significantly reduce demand on NHS services and ease winter pressures. Following a recommendation in 2012 by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) that the annual influenza vaccination programme should be extended to include all children aged two to under 17 years of age, the phased introduction of this extension began in 2013.

The aim is to extend the existing annual routine immunisation programme against influenza to more age groups of children increasing quantity and quality to significantly lower the number of infections and outbreaks caused by the flu viruses. This season (2015-16) the flu vaccine will be offered to all two to 6 years old in England.

The key objective of the procurement is to qualify additional providers (framework members) to the recently established national framework for 2016/17 flu season service delivery and beyond. Additional framework members will give commissioners a larger pool of providers to invite to participate in a mini-competition to call off their local requirements for 2016-17.

Please note the framework went live on the 1st April 2015 and is for 3 years until the 31st March 2018, this window (window 2) is to invite further qualified providers onto the Framework for a period up to the 31st March 2018 only. The Framework will allow for a quicker solution at “call off” as providers will have been through Quality and Assurance checks to become accredited on the National Framework. ‘Call-off’ when required, will be via the mechanism set out the Framework Agreement Terms and Conditions for local commissioning of Childhood Flu Immunisation. ‘Call-off’ from “Window 2” of the framework will allow for contracts up to 2 years to be commissioned by local NHS England Teams.

There will be a requirement for providers to demonstrate their capability to deliver to sub-region local specifications at the point of call-off. The contract value will be defined by each sub-region at the point of ‘call-off’ from the National Framework in line with the service specification.