NHS England and NHS Improvement South West - North & East Devon Breast Screening Programme

The aim of the NHS Breast Screening Programme is to reduce mortality from breast cancer by diagnosing cancer at an early stage when treatment is more successful. The successful bidder will be required to deliver a screening programme which is fully compliant with all relevant national standards and pathways. The solution must address the following elements:

• Identification and invitation of the eligible female population for screening at appropriate intervals (i.e. call/recall) in accordance with national guidance
• Providing appropriate information to allow women to make an informed choice about whether or not to participate in screening
• Providing high quality, accessible, effective people-centred mammography screening services
• Ensuring GPs are informed of screening in their area, and the final outcomes of screening invitations for each of their patients
• Undertaking assessment and diagnosis of individuals with abnormal initial test results; accurately diagnosing cancers, with reference to multidisciplinary team decisions; and referring women for treatment by appropriately trained and qualified specialists in accordance with nationally agreed protocols and treatment pathways
• Managing screening according to national protocols for women with specific conditions which place them at high risk for developing breast cancer
• Working with other local stakeholders to maximise uptake, improve quality and tackle inequalities and improve outcomes.
• Delivery by suitably trained, competent, and qualified clinical and non-clinical staff who, where relevant, participate in recognized ongoing continuing medical education, continuous professional development, and external quality assurance schemes, using equipment which meets the NHSBSP standards of image quality and radiation dose, with audit embedded in the service.
• Working flexibly to incorporate changing technologies and national guidance across the term of the contract
• Supporting completion of any outstanding COVID backlog and support any specific health inequalities work identified as a result of reduced uptake during COVID disruption.
• The population to be served by the programme will be those inside the North and East Devon geography.

The provider must be prepared to work with commissioners to implement any such alterations that do arise due to emerging system changes or other developments during the life of the contract.

EOIs received will be used to help NHSE/I finalise their commissioning and contracting approach for this service. This PIN as a call for competition is initially published as a notice for expressions of interest. The Commissioner may then choose to proceed directly to a procurement process with parties who have responded to the notice and there shall be no further notice published.

In order to submit an EOI, you will need to be registered on the e-procurement system and 'express an interest'. Upon doing so you will be able to access the associated provider questionnaire. IMPORTANT: The questionnaire must be completed in conjunction with your EOI. The deadline for registration, EOI and questionnaire returns is 22nd September 2021.

On registration, please include at least two contacts to allow for access to the system in times of absence.

The contract will be awarded on a block basis at this point, however, should national changes in funding approach be introduced the provider must be prepared to work with the commissioner to assess any impact and work collaboratively to safely implement any such alterations during the life of the contract.

Should NHSE/I proceed to a procurement process it is anticipated to consist of two stages:

Stage 1 is a shortlisting stage; the aim of this shortlisting stage is predominantly to test the capability and capacity of potential Providers and to identify whether there is more than one capable provider

Stage 2 will either be:

(a) a competitive process (if more than one capable provider is identified at Stage 1) which may involve dialogue and will involve assessment of bids against published evaluation criteria and weightings; or

(b) a collaborative "Assurance Process" with a single provider (if only one capable provider is identified at Stage 1).

Both approaches will involve evidence being considered by subject matter experts and assessed against critical success factors and expected minimum standards.

This procurement is being carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioners. Additional information: 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).

The 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 a transparent tender process, 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.

Neither the inclusion of a Bidder selection stage, nor the use of any language or terms found in the Directive or Regulations, nor the description of the procedure voluntarily adopted by the Authority ("Open", "Restricted", "Competitive Procedure with Negotiation", "Competitive Dialogue" or any other description), nor any other indication, shall be taken to mean that the Authority intends to hold itself bound by the Directive or Regulations, save by the provisions applicable to services coming within the scope of Annex XIV of the Directive / Schedule 3 of the Regulations.