Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Beacon House
Cwmbran
NP44 3AB
UK
E-mail: emma.burns@wales.nhs.uk
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://nwssp.nhs.wales/ourservices/procurement-services/
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA0221
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Health
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Non-Clinical Decision Support Software
Reference number: STW.5146
II.1.2) Main CPV code
48000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Supplies
II.1.4) Short description
This contract is for the provision of non-clinical decision support software to be deployed within the NHS 111 Wales service to enable initial call taking to the service to be completed. A Call Handler will commence the non-clinical triage process to determine the condition of the patient and whether they need to speak to a clinician.
Remote clinical assessment will then subsequently be undertaken, where required, by either a clinician utilising separate clinical decision support software within the NHS 111 Wales service or the call transferred to another software system, dependent upon the reason for the call and assigned clinical priority, to be assessed by another provider across NHS Wales urgent primary care services.
The software solution is required to facilitate non-clinical call takers in the NHS 111 Wales service to stream and prioritise calls received and manage patients remotely. Where required the software is to enable the call to be allocated to a clinician within the NHS 111 Wales service to undertake further clinical triage in the separate instance of the clinical decision support software.
In addition, the contract is for the supply of professional services to enable the implementation and training of the solution and as well as the relevant software licences for the software application itself. The contract is also for the supply of the associated ongoing support and maintenance services.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
5 185 000.00
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
48800000
48810000
48814000
48100000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKL
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
This contract is for the provision of non-clinical decision support software to be deployed within the NHS 111 Wales service to enable initial call taking to the service to be completed by non-clinical Call Handlers. Following initial call taking remote clinical assessment will then either be undertaken by a clinician within separate clinical decision support software utilised by NHS 111 Wales or the call transferred to another software system, to be assessed, dependent upon the reason for the call and assigned clinical priority, by another provider across NHS Wales urgent primary care services.
The non-clinical decision software is required to facilitate non-clinical call takers in the NHS 111 Wales service to stream and prioritise calls received utilising non-clinical decision-making algorithms which are based on NHS content. Calls received are required to be passed from a separate patient management system into the non-clinical decision support software to reduce the risk of mistakes being made when entering new details.
The non-clinical decision software is to allow subsequent calls to be matched to previous assessments and repeat callers are to be highlighted to the Call Handler to help manage patient care. Calls are also required to be appropriately returned to the patient management system.
The non-clinical decision software is required to contain non-clinical decision-making algorithms to allow the Call Handler to interpret the callers' symptoms and following a non-clinical triage process provide a patient with a recommendation (disposition) if no further remote clinical assessment of the call is required. The non-clinical decision software provided is required to enable the Welsh Ambulance Service to reduce variation in the assessment of conditions, and support a research, evidence-based approach to the assessment, offering transparency regarding advice to patients. The solution is required to be able to support access to the NHS 111 Wales service via video and provide an intuitive, safe interface for end users.
The non-clinical decision software must be able to work seamlessly with the patient management system and clinical decision support software (supplied separately) to ensure safe and efficient transfer of patient details to and from remote clinical assessments. The solution is required to provide full digital audit capability (Themes, Trends, Statistical Reporting on staff performance), allow seamless sharing of clinical information between service providers, and work intelligently with electronic patient care records systems.
In addition, this requirement is for the supply of professional services to enable the implementation and training of the solution and as well as the relevant software licences for the non-clinical decision software this requirement is also for the supply of the associated ongoing software support and maintenance services.
II.2.11) Information about options
II.2.5) Award criteria
Price
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
Yes
Description of options:
Option to extend for a further period of 24 months in annual increments or for the full 24-month period at the sole discretion of the contracting authority.
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition
Justification for selected award procedure:
Extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable for the contracting authority and in accordance with the strict conditions stated in the Directive
Explanation
The legacy software currently utilised by the NHS 111 Wales service must be replaced as the software has reached end of life and the contract will expire on the 20th May 2024. A competitive dialogue procurement was undertaken to procure a replacement solution and a contract awarded but following a joint review of the project with the supplier a decision was reached to end the delivery of the replacement software solution. There is now an urgent need to replace the legacy software and the replacement must be fully implemented and go-live by the 30th April 2024, to safely decommission the legacy software and transition to the new software solution. This is to ensure NHS 111 Wales service provision can continue, with minimal disruption, in the interim to any future national NHS 111 Wales and urgent primary care strategic plans for a longer-term solution.
It is essential disruption is kept to a minimum whilst minimising implementation risks. Key requirements include:
(1) Must be available for implementation without any further implications to develop and test the software whilst recognising configuration of the solution would be required.
(2) Must be able to interface with the non-clinical decision support software and the patient management system without any constrained development time required.
(3) End Users of the system must be able to be trained in the implementation timeframe available including training in the use of the clinical algorithms.
(4) Data and information are required to be easily exported and information feeds provided to link the Welsh Ambulance Service internal data warehouse.
(5) The system should be able to integrate with the Welsh Ambulance Services existing 999 system without significant impact to either system to allow improved call handling efficiencies as many calls originate from the 999 service as well as calls being passed from the 111 service to the 999 system.
Additional factors taken into consideration include quality and patient safety, business needs, access to the technology, the strategic fit and the supplier’s capacity and capability.
The solution is required to maintain interoperability with NHS Wales Local Health Boards’ urgent primary care systems. The level of complexity and the associated implementation lead-times have been considered as well as the impact upon end users of the system to minimise training complexities given the urgent need.
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
No
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2023/S 000-037560
Section V: Award of contract
Contract No: STW.5146
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
20/12/2023
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 1
Number of tenders received from tenderers from EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Priority Solutions Inc.
110 S Regent St, STE 500
SLC
84111
US
NUTS: US
The contractor is an SME:
Yes
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 5 185 000.00
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
The Contract Value provided in this VEAT Notice is in aggregate and is inclusive of the 36-month term and the 24-month optional extension period.
This interim solution is being implemented to meet an urgent need to ensure operational services can seamlessly continue with minimal disruption and strategic procurement plans for a longer-term digital solution to meet NHS 111 Wales and urgent primary care needs will be re-visited and developed before the expiry of this contract.
(WA Ref:138340)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
High Court
Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
UK
Telephone: +44 2079477501
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
24/01/2024