Social and other specific services – public contracts
Prior information notice - This notice is a call for competition
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group
County Hall
Morpeth
NE61 2EF
UK
Contact person: Julie Ross
E-mail: julie.ross5@nhs.net
NUTS: UKC21
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://www.northumberlandccg.nhs.uk/
I.3) Communication
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to the abovementioned address
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
Northumberland ACO.
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
Northumberland CCG has been considering alternative arrangements for the future commissioning of affordable, sustainable quality healthcare, fit to meet the future needs of its communities in line with the Five Year Forward View. After careful consideration, the CCG has concluded that a form of Accountable Care Organisation (ACO) is the right model for Northumberland. The integrated PACS model as set out in the CCG's vanguard submission to NHS England and reflected on its website (see section I.1)) will underpin the ACO. The CCG is working with local healthcare providers and the County Council to refine the scope of the ACO. The ACO will develop and deliver care models and pathways to improve health outcomes for the people of Northumberland, shape sustainable services and move care from the hospital setting (where appropriate). The CCG will contract with a single host organisation for the ACO, but ACO partners will agree relevant proportions of responsibility for ACO system management.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKC21
Main site or place of performance:
Northumberland.
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The CCG is in the process of finalising the scope and preferred model of the ACO in Northumberland following its successful vanguard bid to NHS England. The CCG will continue to operate as a statutory body responsible for commissioning care. The ACO will have financial responsibility for all core NHS services which the CCG is responsible for commissioning, either by providing or contracting the services or (if appropriate for some elements of the services) through a mechanism by which payments for specific services provided under the NHS ‘payment by results’ system will be administered by and charged to the ACO. Exclusions will be core primary care and services provided through partnership arrangements between the CCG and the local authority, which currently include jointly commissioned services, continuing health care and Better Care Fund service. The services covered by the ACO may be subject to change as the ACO develops.
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 120
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
II.2.14) Additional information
Key provider stakeholders are: Northumbria Healthcare NHS FT; Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS FT; Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS FT; North East Ambulance Service NHS FT; Northumberland County Council; and appropriate representation from primary care. The CCG will continue to engage with wider stakeholders and providers as appropriate (eg s/holder forums) to input into the operation of the ACO.
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.4) Objective rules and criteria for participation
The CCG has determined that the ACO approach will achieve better patient outcomes for Northumberland and help to facilitate a more integrated, resilient healthcare system. To participate in discussions regarding fulfilling the role of ACO host, a provider must be (1) capable of providing a material level of services (see Section II.2.4) to the Northumberland population, (2) willing to work with the current providers (see Section II.2.14)), have experience of multi-disciplinary integrated care service delivery (i.e. to provide services in an integrated manner), and be able to mobilise services by April 2017 (3) willing to sign up to the risk of appropriate system wide outcomes (see Section VI.3)), (4) capable of financially holding and managing the scale of risk of overspend under a contract of the size anticipated for the ACO, and (5) willing to participate in the ACO through taking a degree of income risk share.
III.2) Conditions related to the contract
III.2.2) Contract performance conditions
The current preferred ACO model is as follows: the ACO will be a partnership of key health providers (see section II.2.14)). Northumbria Healthcare NHS FT is expected to host this partnership and ACO model, and as such will hold the formal contract under which the total budget for core health services will be transferred to the ACO. It will then agree arrangements with other providers to share funding and risks. The contract will be for 10 years to facilitate the development and delivery of key outcomes.
The ACO will become responsible for managing all expenditure on the Services, within a fixed budget based on the needs of the population and the achievement of the outcomes. Existing provider contracts will remain in place but will be managed and operated by the ACO. Where required, the ACO will advertise future contracts and existing contract renewals.
The CCG will continuously keep its legal and regulatory obligations under review in relation to the ACO development and operation.
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Procedure involving negotiations
IV.1.11) Main features of the award procedure:
The CCG believes it has identified the providers most capable of leading and participating in the ACO. The CCG's intention is to continue to develop the ACO with those providers. Any provider not involved in the ACO discussions which, having reviewed this PIN, believes it could and wishes to participate in the ACO (either as host core member meeting criteria in III.1.4)/VI.3) or a supporting stakeholder) should express an interest by contacting the person named in Section I.1) by Friday 23.9.2016.
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of expressions of interest
Date:
23/09/2016
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
EN
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
Given the wide range of services the ACO will manage within Northumberland the CCG has, at present, assessed the most capable provider to lead the ACO contract against the criteria in section III.1.4) is Northumberia Healthcare NHS FT. Northumbria Healthcare NHS FT is the largest single provider across Northumberland, delivering the majority of acute health care services and the entire community services provision. It delivers adult social care through its partnership with the with the County Council making it a uniquely integrated provider of acute, community and social care services across the population of Northumberland. Many health and social care services are co-located and fully integrated as a result of this partnership. The New Care Models vanguard programme for Northumberland, called ‘Northumberland Accountable Care Organisation’ was awarded with Northumbria Healthcare NHS FT as the designated lead partner in July 2015. View the CCG's Case for Change http://bit.ly/2c3wRyx
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
07/09/2016