NECS380 Palliative Care Rapid Response Service

NHS County Durham Clinical Commissioning Group (the Contracting Authority) is issuing this Prior Information Notice (PIN) as a Request for Information (RFI) to gather market intelligence, and to gain a better understanding of the capacity and appetite of the market in delivering the proposed End of Life and Palliative Care Rapid Response Service for the people across County Durham area, and to alert the market to a possible future tender opportunity. It is important to note that this PIN/RFI is not a call for competition and as such potential providers will need to express interest in any future tender opportunity once a contract notice is published in Find a Tender Service (FTS) and on Contracts Finder (CF).

It should be noted that this PIN/RFI invites individuals and organisations to express an interest in this RFI exercise only, and it is NOT a pre-qualification questionnaire and is NOT part of any pre-qualification or selection process. An expression of interest is no indication of a commitment to participate in the RFI process nor does it infer any preferential or special status on those individuals and organisations who express an interest in the RFI exercise.

NECS is utilising an electronic tendering portal (In-Tend) to manage this RFI and as such interested individuals and organisations will need to register on the portal to access the RFI documentation and return completed RFI documentation.

Please note that it is free to register on In-Tend, which can be accessed at any time of day if you have a working internet connection. The In-Tend portal can be found at: in-tendhost.co.uk/nhsnecsu ↗ (Please follow the registration instructions if you are not already registered) and look for the project NECS380 Palliative Care Rapid Response Service.

Potential providers are to note that the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (as amended) may apply to a future procurement including the New Fair Deal non-statutory policy setting out how pensions issues are to be dealt with when staff are compulsorily transferred from the public sector to independent providers delivering public services.

Potential providers are to note that any future procurement for an End of Life and Palliative Care Rapid Response Service will incorporate the UK Governments new Social Value Model and the RFI specifically requests potential providers views on Social Value in relation to the End of Life and Palliative Care Rapid Response Service.

The RFI documentation will be accessible from 12:00 noon on 18 November 2021 and completed RFI responses must be returned by 12.00 noon on 02 December 2021.