City and Hackney CCG is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified service provider(s) to deliver a community heart failure nursing service based with GP practices within City and Hackney and including services to patients in their own homes.

Before tendering this service, the CCG would like to gauge an understanding of potential number of bidders in this service area.

We anticipate issuing an Invitation to Tender (ITT) pack in June 2015 but this is subject to change.

The overall aim of this service is to provide expert heart failure care to patients, suggesting appropriate interventions and optimum medical management in line with national standards, improving both clinical outcomes and patient experience.

The service must be delivered to all appropriate patients with heart failure registered with GP practices in NHS City and Hackney CCG and ensure equitable access and quality of service to the entire population group.

The service must embrace a person-centred approach to the care of patients and must work as a partner alongside all other health and social care professionals involved in the patient’s care so that patients experience co-ordinated, seamless and integrated services.

The service will also be expected to foster continued quality improvement and to demonstrate a commitment to ongoing review of safety and quality monitoring information about service provision.

Additionally the provider will be required to have robust systems for acting on the results of safety and quality monitoring information, including more formal measures to improve provider performance if safety or quality indicators for the service remain persistently below expected standards.

There is a team of 4 specialist heart failure nurses and one health care assistant who provide services on a geographical quadrant basis to GP practices in City and Hackney.

TUPE may be applicable and full details will be made available if a decision is made to tender.

Re-commissioning this service links to the following CCG strategic objectives: •Ensuring our health system is affordable, of high quality and improved patient experience. •Developing integrated out of hospital services to mitigate the increasing cost of hospital based unscheduled care. •This service proposes a community based planned care approach to managing patients avoiding unscheduled care. •Reducing the early death rates from cardiovascular and respiratory disease. •This service should improve care for patients with Heart Failure.

Please see attached 'Market Testing - Additional Information - Community Heart Failure Nursing Service' document for information regarding 'Required General Outcomes' and 'Minimum Operational Requirements'.

The estimated annual contract value is £300,000.

The contract will initially be let for 12 months.

Please express your interest to Hon Yip at WELCPOD-procurement@nelcsu.nhs.uk by no later than Friday 12th June 2015, 5pm.