UK Public Sector Contracts & Tenders

NHS Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support Unit (AGCSU), on behalf of NHS England Highly Specialised Services (referred to as the Commissioner), is undertaking a market engagement exercise to understand the current and future capacity and capability of providers and potential providers within this highly specialised area. All interested parties, including incumbent providers, are encouraged to register their interest and participate in the market engagement questionnaire which will provide feedback to commissioners. Please note that this is not a call for competition although the commissioner would encourage all potential providers to respond to this market engagement exercise. The outcome of this market engagement will help inform commissioners of the current and future capacity and capability of the market and will be considered to inform the commissioning approach.

This is a reopened ITT process, (the previous EU Supply project reference was 45233) to which some bidders have already responded. Commissioners have adjusted the financial model in the reopened process and provided greater clarity on how service activity will be funded. NHS England Specialised Commissioning - Highly Specialised Commissioning Team (referred to as the Commissioner(s)) is inviting suitably qualified and experienced providers to express interest in delivering the Service(s), by responding to this opportunity as required and described in document 1, and within the published Provider Selection Process. NHS Arden and Greater East Midlands CSU (AGCSU) is acting as an agent for and on behalf of the Commissioner and is supporting the provider selection process.

Cystinosis is a very rare inherited lysosomal storage disease presenting in infancy (95% of cases) with severe kidney disease but subsequently involving multiple organs (eyes, thyroid, liver, diabetes, muscle deterioration). Patients often present to paediatric nephrology services although multi organ disease requires multi-speciality input. Effective drug therapy and renal transplantation has improved the life expectancy of these patients. This project comprises a provider selection process to commission adult and paediatric cystinosis services.

Osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (OOKP) is a highly specialist surgical intervention that can restore meaningful vision to patients suffering from end stage corneal blindness, and for whom conventional corneal surgery is not possible for reasons such as severe ‘dry eyes’ that causes heavy scarring of the cornea. Osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (OOKP) uses the patient’s own tooth root and alveolar bone to support an optical cylinder and is only considered in end stage corneal disease when there is no other available treatment to restore sight. NHS England would like to identify NHS Trusts who are interested in delivering these services in accordance with the specification.