Provision of Services for Clinical Assurance

Location

United Kingdom:

Description

NHS Digital (NHSD) writes clinical content to support the Patient Pathways and 111 Online services. It is critical that this content is up to date and reflective of the most up to date treatment advice.This contract establishes the formal assurance of clinical information and content and with it, the provision of specialist development expertise across a broader spectrum of conditions and relevant subject matter experts. Initially focussed on NHS Pathways and NHS 111 Online, the assurance will include a review of new content (‘prospective content’), but also a review (over a 5-year period) of current and legacy content (‘retrospective content’).

Total Quantity or Scope

Direct award (Reg 32) - negotiated procedure without prior publication

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 85100000 - Health services

Legal Justification

This case for this STA replies on Regulation 32 and specifically 32(b) which provides: (b) where the works, supplies or services can be supplied only by a particular economic operator for any of the following reasons: (i) the aim of the procurement is the creation or acquisition of a unique work of art or artistic performance, (ii) competition is absent for technical reasons, (iii) the protection of exclusive rights, including intellectual property rights, but only, in the case of paragraphs (ii) and (iii), where no reasonable alternative or substitute exists and the absence of competition is not the result of an artificial narrowing down of the parameters of the procurement; In line with the (i) and (ii) above, outlined below is the rationale as to why the proposed supplier is uniquely positioned to provide the service, and how AoMRC is positioned against these: AoMRC Unique Position: AoMRC are uniquely positioned to engage with a broad range of medical and non-medical colleges and offer ultimate integrity to clinical assurance processes AoMRC are the only organisation which has overall oversight for the various colleges of clinical staff which will be needed to input into the digital content. Although other organisations may be able to provide a discreet element of the services, they will not have the ability to ensure cross organisation collaboration to ensure that all the relevant clinical expertise is considered when updating our online content With the Academy’s overarching role, they are the preferred partner in providing enhanced independent and neutral assurance for NHS Pathways and 111 Online clinical content, based on their standing and role in the wider clinical community. With a membership of 24 organisations, and as referred to above, there are no other organisations that could offer the breadth, consistency and formality of service, hence the Programme advocating a Single Tender Award Alternatives: No other organisation sits across or has access to all of the other medical colleges and faculties that AoMRC does. AoMRC can provide access to colleges and faculties such as those below (https://www.aomrc.org.uk/about-us/academy-members/): Royal College of Physicians Royal College of Emergency Medicine Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health RCGP can provide access to clinicians as it does today, but this is to a narrower range of SMEs and does not meet the requirement of a broader range of expertise as per the above Contracting for clinician time would have to be on a college-to-college basis and such activity is likely to be prohibitive across c.24 organisations. Overarching body to college is an existing relationship through the membership arrangement Whilst the administrative task of arranging meetings and chairing them could be undertaken by A N Other party, any commercial or other organisation would not have the links to colleges or, indeed, the authority to engage with colleges

Other Information

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