NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (referred to as the Commissioner) are inviting suitably qualified and experienced providers who can deliver an Advice and Guidance service to health care professionals across NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB to participate in some pre-market engagement.

The aim of the service is to facilitate advice and guidance on the management of patients in Derbyshire from secondary care consultants at our secondary care Trusts Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (CRH) and University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB) across a range of specialties.

Where the local consultants are not available this will need to be supported by the provision of NHS consultants based within the UK.

The advice and guidance will provide health care professionals with continued access to specialist clinical advice, enabling a patient's care to be managed in the most appropriate setting, strengthening shared decision making and avoiding unnecessary outpatient activity.

The purpose of this advert is to invite the market to engage as the commissioner recognises that there might be a need for some non-recurrent set-up costs in year 1 of the contract.

This engagement is in addition to the previous market engagement undertaken for a process early this year; which was abandoned.

Please note it is expected that any supplier interested in providing this service will already have in place an existing and operational technological and clinical advice solution.

The Commissioner anticipates that the set-up costs would be to mobilise this solution across Derby and Derbyshire and that this would incorporate training (virtual and face to face for PCNs and Derbyshire acute providers); implementation, including technical support; communications/engagement.

The Commissioner expects these costs to be in the region of £20k but would like feedback from the market in this respect.

The Commissioner is seeking feedback from the market on feasibility of this proposal, to inform any future competitive procurement process.

Potential providers interested in this service are requested to complete the soft market testing questionnaire.

The deadline for Soft Market Testing responses is by 17:00 hours on Friday 3rd Nov 2023.

An expression of interest as a result of this Market testing notice will not automatically entitle your involvement in any future procurement exercise.

Any procurement conducted as a result of this notice will be advertised separately.

Current services will remain in place during this period to enable a procurement process to be undertaken.

Any future opportunity will be carried out in accordance with the Commissioners procurement obligations under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

It is anticipated that any future contract for these services will be for an initial period of 1 year and 10 months with an option to extend for up to a further 1 year, commencing 1st June 2024.