Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS SOUTH, CENTRAL AND WEST COMMISSIONING SUPPORT UNIT
360 Bristol, Marlborough Street
Bristol
BS13NX
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKK11 - Bristol, City of
Justification for not providing organisation identifier
Not on any register
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Health
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Transgender Sexual Health Clinics
Reference number
WA13435
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85000000 - Health and social work services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
NHS England (NHSE) seeks Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from providers in England who have the capability and capacity (to be assessed as part of initial procurement process) to deliver specialised healthcare interventions (non-surgical) within a sexual health clinic setting for adults on the NHS pathway of care for the treatment of gender dysphoria. Currently, NHSE are looking for two compliant providers and intend to make two discreet awards to those providers. For the avoidance of doubt, the providers are not expected to partner in the delivery of these services.
The providers will establish a multi-disciplinary team of professionals that can deliver a service in compliance with NHSE's published service specification (provided with this PIN), and that is delivered from a specialist HIV / GUM Service setting. The service will provide assessment of individuals for the purpose of diagnosis and will provide healthcare interventions for those who receive a diagnosis of gender dysphoria as described in the service specification.
Bids will be considered from providers who cannot yet meet the terms of the service specification but who can describe credible proposals for developing a service within two years which must include a named experienced consultant in gender dysphoria medicine for the purpose of training, clinical supervision, and mentoring. In such cases NHSE will provide additional funding for clinical staff to receive academic training through the Royal College of Physicians' accredited credential in Gender Identity Healthcare Practice.
The contract term of each contract will be 5 years initially with an option to extend for a further 2 years (at commissioner discretion). The total value of each contract will be c.£8.75m over the 7-year period (should the extension be granted and based on 2022/23 values). There is also c.£100k available for mobilisation costs and the potential for additional funding later in the contract should expansion of the service be required. The contracts are expected to commence in March 2023, though this may change depending on the mobilisation requirements of the selected providers.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £8,750,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKC - North East (England)
- UKD - North West (England)
- UKE - Yorkshire and the Humber
- UKF - East Midlands (England)
- UKG - West Midlands (England)
- UKH - East of England
- UKI - London
- UKJ - South East (England)
- UKK - South West (England)
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The objectives of this service are:
• provide a high-quality, timely and sustainable service for adults who have gender dysphoria;
and promote respect, dignity, and equality for all individuals.
• an integrated approach to delivering an individual's overall health and social care needs
including co-location with sexual health and reproductive services.
• provide a service with a visible profile, with at least 1 physical location where individuals feel
safe, supported, and welcomed.
• provide a service with robust clinical and operational governance structures, systems and
frameworks
• establishment of a multi-disciplinary team of healthcare professionals, with a named clinical
lead, who either have experience or are interested in developing competencies and
expertise in the care of individuals with gender dysphoria
• engagement with and inclusion of service users in the co-design and ongoing development
and delivery of the service
• establishment and development of meaningful collaborative relationships with local
statutory services to meet the needs of the population
• exploitation of digital technology to facilitate patient access and enhance the patient experience
EOIs received will be used to help NHSE finalise their commissioning and contracting approach for this service. Please be advised that the supplementary questionnaire provided with this PIN must be completed in full and returned with your EOI for it to be considered.
This exercise is being carried out by NHS South, Central & West Commissioning Support Unit on behalf of NHSE. 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.
Interested providers will be able to view this opportunity and its supplementary documentation via the 'current tenders' list on the e-procurement system "Atamis", available on the following link:
https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome
If you are not already registered on the system, you will need to do so before you can fully access the opportunity. On registration, please include at least two contacts to allow for access to the
system in times of absence.
Should NHSE proceed to a procurement process it is anticipated to consist of two stages: (1) Stage 1
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; (2) Stage 2 will either be:
(a) a competitive process (if more than two 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 single providers, if only two capable providers are 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.
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 are instead governed by the "Light Touch Regime" contained within Chapter 3, Section 7 of the Regulations (Regulations 74 to 77).
The 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 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.
The Contracting Authority will observe a voluntary award decision notices provisions and may observe a 10-day standstill period described in Regulation 86 of the Regulations. Bidders who are
unsuccessful will receive scores and reasons for the decision, including the reasons why the Bidder/application was unsuccessful (Stage 1) and the characteristics and relative advantages of the winning bid (if there is a competitive tender at Stage 2.
two.2.7) Duration of the contract or the framework agreement
Duration in months
84
Section four. Procedure
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of expressions of interest
Date
30 November 2022
Local time
12:00pm
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English