Procurement for the provision of a Diabetic Eye Screening Programme for Kent & Medway

NHS England South East (Kent, Surrey, Sussex) sought to re-procure the Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (DESP) in Kent and Medway. The Commissioner will be contracting for the services using the National NHS Standard Contract. The contract will be for a term of 5 years and is due to commence on 11th October 2019. Payment will be made on a tariff basis and the anticipated total value of the contract, based on achievable KPI uptake (85%), is £12,465,083. The Commissioners sought tender responses from providers who have the capability and capacity to undertake such a contract. This procurement was carried out by NHS South, Central & West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioners. The contract will serve a population of around 1.8 million, of whom c. 100,729 are eligible (being individuals over the age of 12 currently identified as diabetics in need of screening). National DESP Guidance estimates a potential 4% growth per annum in the number of people diagnosed with diabetes and approximately 2% of the population in Kent and Medway who may be as yet undiagnosed. Interested parties were invited to take part in an Invitation To Tender (ITT) process, based on the Open procedure, and designed to identify the Most Economically Advantageous Tender and therefore determine the incoming provider. The deadline for receipt of tender submissions was no later than 12 noon on 7th December 2018.