Managed service contract for the provision of theatres

Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (GWH) is an integrated provider which provides acute hospital services to patients from across Swindon and Wiltshire at the Great Western Hospital, and community services to adult patients. We also provide Maternity and paediatric services, both acute and in the community. The Trust has a budget of approximately £475m and employs around 5,600 staff. In 2023-24 there were 127,814 emergency and urgent attendances at the hospital, 277,678 community contacts, and 15,849 operations were carried out.<br/><br/>GWH plays an important role in the training and education of medical, nursing and Allied Health Professional students. Our ‘Improving Together’ approach to continuous service improvement is now widely used across the Trust and is bringing multi-disciplinary teams together to promote innovation and deliver sustainable change. <br/><br/>Our Theatre services constitute 15 theatres on the 1st floor, with an obstetric theatre and treatment room on the 2nd floor. The Sterile Services Department (SSD) is co-located with the main theatres and supplies sterile instrumentation across the Trust, and to external customers. SSD also provides a decontamination service to the Endoscopy unit. <br/><br/>GWH employs a material management team within the theatres environment which uses Ingenica Solutions inventory management system. <br/><br/>Our ‘Way Forward’ programme includes the development of a Community Diagnostic Centre in West Swindon, as well as a new build on expansion land next to the main GWH site. This programme includes a new Sterile Services Department, which is to future proof for the organisation and to meet wider ICB needs including opportunities to provide more services to dental and GP practices and community health hubs.<br/>It will also include the development of a Private Patient Facility likely to include additional diagnostic and theatre / treatment room capacity. This programme is being developed in partnership with a commercial partner, yet to be appointed. <br/><br/>The key expectations for the managed service contract are set out below. <br/><br/>1. To manage the supply chain in relation to all procurement associated with Sterile and, Theatre services. Endoscopy decontamination may be included in this remit pending further discussion was part of the procurement process.<br/>2. To drive efficiencies across all a range of specialties to deliver cash releasing savings.<br/>3. To support a long-term capital replacement programme to deliver improved equipment infrastructure over a full capital replacement cycle.<br/>4. To ensure an effective service across equipment replacement, repair, material management and use of technology is maintained and enhanced by market experts.<br/>5. To work with operational and clinical teams across the Trust to identify opportunities for further service or cost improvement schemes where aligned with the managed service contract.<br/>6. To work closely with the ‘Way Forward’ programme in relation to the establishment of a new Sterile Services Department and associated contracting requirements.<br/><br/><br/>It should be noted that GWH also has a PFI arrangement, but the scope of this managed service does not impinge on this contract. Should any conflict be identified in the future, this will be jointly addressed by Managed service provider, the Trust and the PFI contractor. <br/>We have not concluded if these areas will be out of scope of the requirement but dependant on market feedback this may become out of scope prior to any final competition is undertaken.<br/><br/>GWH would like to engage with potential service providers of Clinical Neutral Vendor Managed Services who may be interested in such a<br/>collaboration. Additional information: The purpose of this notice is to generate interest from the market in the delivery of a Theatre Managed Service opportunity at GWH. This document sets out some preliminary questions and GWH would welcome a response from potentially interested parties and the opportunity to discuss in scheduled meetings of one hour anticipated for December 2024 (dates to be confirmed)<br/><br/>Process<br/>Parties who have registered interest in respect of the Prior Information Notice (PIN) are asked to complete the Questionnaire included in Appendix 1 and to return the response via the Atamis link to this PIN by 12 noon on 4th December 2024.<br/>Respondents are asked not to include any promotional or other material when submitting their response to the Questionnaire.<br/>This Questionnaire is associated with a Prior Information Notice (PIN) and as such there is no obligation between the Trust and any party.<br/>GWH expects to conduct any meetings in an informal but focussed manner. Time will be used to ensure productive dialogue and debate.<br/>At this point in the process, potentially interested parties are asked not to approach GWH staff to discuss this potential opportunity. If there are specific clarifications required on the Trust’s Questionnaire, please contact the Trust’s team via Atamis and if relevant such clarification may be shared with all parties who have responded to the PIN.<br/><br/>Following this market engagement process:<br/>• GWH may decide to embark on a process to procure a solution.<br/>• GWH may decide not to commence such a procurement process.<br/>The Trust asks the market to appreciate that the main reasons for this engagement are to<br/>understand market interest, view of the opportunity and potential commercial arrangements that would be acceptable. Should the Trust pursue a process to procure, it will be issuing contractual terms against which bidders will be assessed. GWH also wish to confirm that<br/>anything discussed during the market engagement process will not have a bearing on the evaluation of parties during any subsequent process.<br/>Confidentiality<br/>Respondents should be aware that, whilst the GWH shall use its reasonable endeavours to hold information submitted as confidential information or commercial information (where such categorisation or marking is indicated by the respondent at the time when such information is submitted to GWH), this shall be subject to GWH’s obligations under law and<br/>may need to be disclosed and published by GWH.<br/>Costs<br/>GWH shall have no liability for any costs howsoever incurred by those participating in this market engagement process.