NECS439 Community Age Related Hearing Loss Service Invitation to Tender - Any Qualified Provider (AQP) for and on behalf of NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board in the localities of Hartlepool, Stockton-On-Tees, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland

Invitation to Tender - NECS439 Community Age Related Hearing Loss Service NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board North of England Commissioning Support (NECS) is working for and on behalf of NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (NHS NENC ICB) in the localities of Hartlepool, Stockton-On-Tees, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland who wish to commission a Community Age Related Hearing Loss Service. The aim is to provide a comprehensive service for adults aged 55 years and over experiencing hearing and communication difficulties who feel they might benefit from rehabilitation including the option of trying hearing aids with aftercare and support, following the principles of national commissioning frameworks and local requirements. The vision for people with hearing problems is for them to receive high quality, efficient services delivered closer to home, with short waiting times and high responsiveness to the needs of local communities, free at the point of access. Key principles of the service: • Encourage early identification, diagnosis and management of hearing loss through improved service user involvement • Provision of GP education sessions including latest guidelines and quality of referral information where required and as advised by the commissioner; • Provide person-centred care responding to psychosocial needs, including the effect on partners of those living with poor hearing; • Support communication needs by providing timely signposting to lip reading classes, assistive technologies and other rehabilitation services; • Promote inclusion and participation of people who are deaf or hard of hearing; • Compliance with clinical guidance and good practice; • Improve the service through research and development and the adoption of new evidence based technologies and practices The contract is for an initial 3 years plus the option to extend the contract for a further period of 24 months at the discretion of the Contracting Authority subject to satisfactory financial and contractual performance. The procurement route of the AQP contracts will follow the basic principles that mirror that of the open procedure to test the capacity, capability, and technical competence of tenders in accordance with the Light Touch Regime within the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended), ensuring a fair, open and transparent process in accordance with NHS (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) (No. 2) Regulations 2013. Under the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 the contracting authority must consider: How what is proposed to be procured might improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the patients / residents of the localities covered under the contract and how, in conducting the process of procurement, it might act with a view to securing the improvement. Accordingly, the subject matter of the contract has been scoped to take into account the priorities of the Contracting Authority relating to economic, social and environmental well-being. North of England Commissioning Support (NECS) is utilising an electronic tendering tool (In-Tend) (e-Tendering system) to manage this procurement and communicate with potential bidders in accordance with Regulation 22 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (as amended) and as such there will be no hard copy documents issued to bidders and all communications between bidders and NECS, including tender submissions, will be conducted via the In-tend portal.