Tip of the Day - Secondments

Bids are unpredictable and time sensitive projects that require dedicated members of staff.  I have worked in bid teams that have taken people on secondments either a few days a week or full-time for a couple of months.  In my experience, this can actually be more of a hindrance than a help.

The worst option of the two is somebody seconding to a bid team for a few days a week.  The problem with this is that people don’t know whether they are coming or going due to the time demands of bids.  Sometimes you can be full on with a few bids in one go, sometimes there might not be anything on.  Unless the other team they work for can be flexible, then this arrangement is a waste of time.

The other method of having somebody seconded full-time for a few months can work but is has to be done right.  Do not put them in a position where they have to lead projects straight away, this is unfair to them and will likely mean you have to work double to provide them with the necessary support.  Instead give them administration and research jobs to begin with, then get them in to writing gradually.  This will give them an all-round experience of bids, as well as making them as useful as possible to the team.

Top Contracts Today

Shropshire County Council:

The Management of Kempsfield Residential Home and its development into Supporting Living Accommodation

Description – Shropshire Council is seeking a service provider to manage on its behalf Kempsfield, a 20 bed residential care home situated in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. It is currently owned and managed by Shropshire Council and has been in operation since the early 1980's. The home currently has 12 permanent and 1 temporary residents aged between 52 to 78 some of whom require significant support. The Home is well established within the local community and residents enjoy a range of community activities within the local vicinity and further afield through regular holidays and day trips.

Length – 10 Years

Value – Unknown

Deadline – 10^th July

Link for further info – Here

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust:

Pathology Services

Description – East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (EKHUFT) and Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) have formed a joint venture for delivery of fully integrated pathology service, known as the Kent Pathology Partnership (KPP).
The Contracting Authority (EKHUFT host organisation) on behalf of KPP aims to have a pathology service that is integrated, maximises innovation and technology, and drives efficiencies and effectiveness. The Authority wishes to procure from a suitable, experienced and qualified provider a Pathology Managed Service. The Service Provider will provide services across two Centralised Service Laboratories (“CSL”) and associated
Essential Service Laboratories (“ESL”). This will include (but is not guaranteed to, nor be limited to) the provision of new and replacement pathology automated and non-automated, pre/post analytical equipment, supply of reagents/consumables, maintenance, upgrades, interfacing and training. The system(s) must be capable of interfacing with the associated analysers and be capable of undertaking all processes from receipt of the sample through to an integrated sample archive. It is essential that equivalent analysers are provided for the ESL's to ensure consistency of results.

Length – 7 or 10 years

Value – £56m-£80m

Deadline – 8^th July

Link for further info – Here

Milton Keynes CCG:

Community Ophthalmology

Description – MKCCG invites Milton Keynes GPs, Optometrists, providers of local NHS Ophthalmology Services and other interested parties to attend a workshop to discuss Community Ophthalmology services, which are part of the CCG’s ‘Out of Hospital’ Commissioning Intentions for 2014/15. The workshop will update parties on the recent developments in Community Ophthalmology in Milton Keynes and will set out potential opportunities for future service developments, including future Community Ophthalmology Services to be procured this year. This workshop is aimed at:

• Potential Providers of Community Ophthalmology Services

• GPs in Milton Keynes CCG catchment

• Optometrists in Milton Keynes catchment

Date: Monday 30th June 2014 Time: 12:30-14:00 Venue: MKCCG HQ, Sherwood Place, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK3 6RT

If you would like to attend please email Peter Pentecost on peter.pentecost@miltonkeynes.nhs.uk.

Please note that as there is limited capacity at the venue there is a maximum limit of 2 delegates from any one organisation, although all efforts will be made to accommodate any reasonable requests where possible. Those wishing to attend are encouraged to respond at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment.

Length – N/A

Value – N/A

Deadline – N/A but respond ASAP

Link for further info – Here

Tip of the Day - Bid Packs

Just a short tip today but one thing I’ve found particularly useful working across a bid (particularly large ones) is to have a bid pack.  These are simply PowerPoints that summarise all the information in to one easily accessible document.  The idea is that the bid pack is constantly evolving document that you create at the earliest stage of the process and continue through until the end. In particular, I find them particularly useful for presenting information to Executives and Directors, as well as to people you need to involve in the project without overwhelming them with information.

A quick summary of the slides I would have includes:

·         Summary information – including commissioner, contract title, value, length, commencement date, etc

·         Overall procurement timetable

·         Background information on commissioners

·         Background information on the contract – to include information on the current provision (if applicable)

·         Service model information

·         Service model diagram

·         Potential competitors

·         How your organisation is positioned to bid for this – e.g. strengths and weaknesses

·         Win themes

Tip of the Day - Policies

Now every organisation, particularly in health and social care, should have the right policies, as well as having them fully up-to-date and reviewed.  Sadly this isn't always the case and before a bid goes in you can often find yourselves desperately trying to create a policy at the last minute.

Policies and procedures should not be the responsibility of a Business Development / Bid Team but I would suggest you keep a regular eye on them.  If the organisation isn't keeping up-to-date with policies, or they just don’t exist, then this is going to impact on your ability to win bids, maybe even with getting through PQQs.

If you have any down time as a team, review what policies the organisation has (or doesn't) and flag up any potential gaps.  If you need to, find policy templates on the internet to give you something to work from should a worst case scenario occur.  Whatever happens, make sure you are prepared for there to be a missing policy and that you can deal with it in enough time.

Top Contracts Today

Top 3

NHS England London Area Team:

Prison Healthcare Services in Greenwich Prisons

Description – NHS England (London Region) wishes to commission providers of Healthcare services for three Prisons in the Greenwich area of London. The procurement is split into 2 Lots. The Lots are as follows: Lot 1 includes HMP/YOI Belmarsh and HMP Thameside. Lot 2 includes HMP/YOI Isis.

It is anticipated that the healthcare services for each site will include but not be limited to:

1. Primary Care GP and Nursing services

2. Healthcare Administration

3. Mental Heath Services

4. Sexual Health Services

5. Clinical Substance Misuse Services

6. Allied Healthcare Services e.g. Chiropody/Podiatry, Physiotherapy etc.

7. Optometry services

8. Pharmaceutical Services

9. Dental Services

10. Clinical Waste management

11. Escorts and Bedwatches management

12. Radiology Services (including radiographers, radiation protection advisor/s – where X-Rays are in place)

13. Health Promotion

14. Continuity of Care

Length – 7 Years

Value – Approx £90m across both lots

Deadline – 9^th July for PQQ responses

Link for further info – Here

NHS England Wessex Area Team:

Family Nurse Partnership Programme for Hampshire

Description – NHS England Wessex Area Team, in partnership with Hampshire County Council, invite experienced providers of child and family health services to tender for the delivery of the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) programme. The programme will be available to residents within the Hampshire County Council borders. The FNP is a licensed, evidenced based, intensive nurse-led prevention and early intervention programme. It is for vulnerable first time mothers, under the age of 20 years. The programme starts in pregnancy and continues until their child is aged two years. The programme aims to improve the short, medium and long term outcomes of mothers, children and their families

Length – 3 Years

Value – up to £1.5m

Deadline – 11^th July for ITT responses

Link for further info – Here

NHS Shared Business Services:

North West Care Homes Framework Agreement

Description – The Contracting Authorities are seeking to add Providers to the North West Framework Agreement to provide Social, Personal, and Nursing Care Services for Adults within a Residential Setting ('Care Home' services). Suitable Providers may be care homes (residential care homes and nursing homes) as well as independent hospitals, or any other provider that can meet the requirements set out in the Service Specification for Social, Personal and Nursing Care Services for Adults. This is a framework agreement process and NHS SBS will seek to identify all suitably qualified providers on behalf of the Contracting Authorities to deliver the services outlined in the Service Specification.

Length – Unknown

Value – up to £240m across the whole framework

Deadline – 15^th August

Link for further info – Here

Other Contracts of Interest

South-East

Canterbury & Coastal CCG and South Kent Coast CCG – Community Anti-Coagulation Initiation and Monitoring Service – further details here

Medway CCG – MSK Physiotherapy Services – further details here

East of England

Norfolk County Council – 16+ Supported Accommodation (Linden House) – further details here

Southend CCG – Referral Management Service – further details here

East Midlands

Nene CCG and Corby CCG – Supported Accommodation AQP – further details here

Rushcliffe CCG – Carers and Self-Care Service – further details here

Leicester City Council – Welfare Assistance Partner – further details here

West Midlands

East Staffordshire CCG - Long Term Conditions & Intermediate Care Frail/Elderly (Market Testing) – further details here

Herefordshire CCG – Proposed Provision of Primary Medical Care Enhanced Schemes – further details here

Stoke-on-Trent City Council – HIV Care and Support Service – further details here

Stoke-on-Trent CCG – Individual Continuing Care Service – further details here

Solihull CGG – Mental Health Service for Children & Young People in Solihull – further details here

Yorkshire and Humber

Kirklees CCG – Phlebotomy AQP – further details here

North-West

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council – Supported accommodation for adults with a learning disability living in their own home – further details here

Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council – Assistive Technology Service – further details here

Flyde & Wyre CCG and Blackpool CCG – Intermediate Ophthalmology Services – further details here

North East

NHS England – GP Practice (Newcastle) – further details here

Scotland

Perth and Kinross Council – Occupational Health Services – further details here

Nationwide / Other

Ministry of Justice – Provision of a Radiation Protection Audit and Advisory Service – further details here

Department of Health – Healthy Start Reimbursement Unit – further details here

Tip of the Day - The Importance of Administration

The bid process is an administration heavy one that can end up miring your time in portals, forms and box ticking.  Unfortunately this is a necessary evil in the world of bids, but one that should be dealt with appropriately and in a time-efficient manner.

If possible, have yourself an administrator for your bid team.  If you aren’t a big organisation / team, have the administrator double-up with another team.  Having this resource should in theory be able to make the best use of your team’s time and be able to concentrate on creating good bids.

Tasks I would recommend the administrator deals with includes:

·         Management of all bid portals and forwarding on of messages through this

·         Uploading, printing and packaging all finished bids

·         Arranging couriers as needed

·         Taking minutes at meetings

·         Filling in basic details on PQQs

It may be beneficial for the long-term if the administrator role is a training role.  The person you take on could eventually develop in to becoming a bid writer, with more responsibility given to them over time depending on their ability.

Top Contracts Today

Newham CCG:

Community Ophthalmology Service

Description – Newham CCG are seeking to commission a community ophthalmology service that will provide diagnoses, treatment and on-going management for a range of conditions where treatment in a non-acute setting is both clinically appropriate and in settings convenient for patients to access. We expect the provider to deliver care in an integrated way working closely with existing providers across primary care, acute and community settings. The service will deliver an initial clinical assessment and treatment services (CATS) model for all referrals received. The service will utilise skill mix to deliver pathways whilst ensuring it maintains consultant supervision in the delivery of care. Due to lower complexity and skill mix focus the expectation is this service will not attract PbR and the provider will be expected to deliver this service at a range of community prices. The service will provide “advice and guidance” as part of the contract offer either for referrals redirected back to GP and will be available to answer queries on the management of patients from primary care clinicians. The provider will be responsible for providing all necessary equipment and identify multiple access points from within Newham to support equity of access. The provider will deliver services to both adults and children

Length – 3 Years

Value – Unknown

Deadline – 16^th June to register interest

Link for further info – Here

Newham CCG:

Community ENT Service

Description – Newham CCG are seeking to commission a community ENT service that will provide diagnoses, treatment and on-going management for a range of conditions where treatment in a non-acute setting is both clinically appropriate and in settings convenient for patients to access. We expect the provider to deliver care in an integrated way working closely with existing providers across primary care, acute and community settings. The service will deliver an initial clinical assessment and treatment services (CATS) model for all ENT referrals received. The service will utilise skill mix to deliver pathways whilst ensuring it maintains consultant supervision in the delivery of care. Due to lower complexity and skill mix focus the expectation is this service will not attract PbR. It is expected the provider will deliver this service through at a range of community prices. The service will provide “advice and guidance” as part of the contract offer either for referrals’ redirected back to GP and will be available to answer queries on the management of patients from primary care clinicians. The provider will be responsible for providing all necessary equipment and identify multiple access points from within Newham to support equity of access

Length – 3 Years

Value – Unknown

Deadline – 16^th June to register interest

Link for further info – Here