PREFERRED PROVIDER AGREEMENT FOR THE PROVISION OF A UROLOGY CONSUMABLES HOME DELIVERY SERVICE SUPPLIED UNDER PART IX OF THE DRUG TARIFF
PERIOD 1ST APRIL 2012 TO 31ST MARCH 2015 (WITH THE OPTION TO EXTEND FOR UP TO ONE YEAR)
MODULE A – THE AGREEMENT
1. PARTIES
THIS AGREEMENT is made on the 1st day of April 2012 between
(1) Rotherham Primary Care Trust whose principal office is at Oak House, Moorhead Way, Bramley, Rotherham, S66 1YY (the "Authority" which expression shall include any successor in title to the same) and
(2) The Bullen Healthcare Group Ltd whose principal and/or registered office address is at 85/87 Kempston Street, Liverpool L3 8HE (the "Contractor").
2. BACKGROUND
This Agreement is made by the Authority with the Contractor on the basis that the Contactor has been through a due competitive process undertaken by the Authority in order to establish a Preferred Provider of Urology equipment and consumables to be supplied against Part IX of the Drug Tariff and delivered to the homes of patients who are under the care of the Continence Service provided by The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust.
The Authority advertised the contract in the Official Journal of the European Union on 24th May 2011, reference 2011/S 99 - 162180 (local reference CS/SL/023), to which the Contractor submitted its Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) response and Invitation to Tender (ITT) response on the Bravo electronic tendering portal against Project Number 571, PQQ Number 703 and ITT Number 519, the latter having been qualified by a series of clarification questions and answers, which are recorded within the Bravo portal.
3. ARRANGEMENT
This Agreement comprises:
· Module A – This Agreement
· Module B – Specification
· Module C - Terms and Conditions of Contract for the supply of goods and for the provision of Services
· Module D - The Schedules to the Contract
4. COMMENCEMENT AND DURATION OF THE CONTRACT
The Agreement shall commence on 1st April 2012 (the “Effective Date”) and shall continue until 31st March 2015 unless terminated in accordance with the Termination clause in Module C, or extended in accordance with the option stated within the Invitation to Tender (ITT) documentation; the maximum extension period being one year.
5. NOTICES
5.1 For the purposes of the Notices clause in Module C, the address for the service of notices on the Authority is:
The Rotherham Primary Care Trust
Mr Stuart Lakin
Oak House, Moorhead Way, Bramley, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S66 1YY
Tel: 01709 302639
5.2 For the purposes of the Notices clause in Module C, the address for the service of notices on the Contractor is:
The Bullen Healthcare Group Ltd
Details removed as this is personal data
85/87 Kempston Street, Liverpool L3 8HE
Details removed as this is personal data
Tel: 0151 207 6995
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the Parties have signed this Agreement on the date shown below
1
SIGNED byFor and on behalf of the Rotherham Primary Care Trust (the Authority)
Signature / ......
Name / ......
Title / ......
Date / ......
2
SIGNED byFor and on behalf of The Bullen Healthcare Group Ltd (the Contractor)
Signature / ......
Name / ......
Title / ......
Date / ......
MODULE B – SPECIFICATION FOR THE HOME DELIVERY SERVICE FOR CONTINENCE EQUIPMENT AND CONSUMABLES
Service / Home Delivery Service for Continence Equipment and ConsumablesCommissioner Lead / Stuart Lakin, Head of Medicines Management, NHS Rotherham
Provider Lead / Details removed as this is personal data, The Bullen Healthcare Group
Period / 1st April 2012 to 31st March 2015
1. Purpose
NB Throughout this document, reference is made to ‘prescription’. This is defined as a written instruction given by an NHS healthcare professional, employed by the Continence Service, to an authorised provider to supply appropriate products to a patient, on behalf of Rotherham GPs.
1.1 Aims
1.1.1 To establish a Preferred Provider of a Home Delivery Service for continence equipment and consumables on prescription, to patients registered with the Rotherham Continence Service, who have expressed a desire to use a dispensing appliance contractor (DAC) and not a community pharmacy, but have not expressed a preference as to which DAC is selected.
1.1.2 NHS Rotherham expects the following from this contract:
· Professional management of the service by the Service Provider
· Comprehensive information and statistics to be provided by the Service Provider
· The provision of a comprehensive and flexible product range of urology products and continence appliances in line with Trust prescribing formularies.
· A discreet, reliable and efficient transport service which meets the requirements of the Trust’s clients and users
· The reliable and effective maintenance of vehicles
· Trained and motivated drivers
· A high quality service which is sufficiently flexible to meet the changing needs of the Trust and the Trust clients
· A robust and comprehensive monitoring system
· Savings to be identified that will contribute to the NHS Rotherham Medicines Management QIPP agenda
1.2 General Overview
1.2.1 The Rotherham Continence Service annually provides advice and prescriptions to approximately 1300 patients with bladder and bowel dysfunction.
· The total annual budget for this Service is around £500K.
· The total number of prescriptions dispensed over a 12 month period is around 12,500.
· Approx 60 new patients are admitted to the Service each month.
· It is anticipated that 80% of all new patients coming into the Service each month will be offered the Preferred Provider.
· Existing patients will be offered the opportunity to change to the Preferred Provider as appropriate – e.g. if they are dissatisfied with the service being delivered by their current provider.
1.2.2 The prescriptions cover a wide range of continence products including urinary catheters (foley and nelaton), urine drainage bags (leg and 2 litre drainage), catheter valves; accessories, sheath drainage systems and anal irrigation systems. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT COVER CONTINENCE PADS AND PANTS.
1.2.3 Many patients express no preference as to how the prescription for their first products is dispensed and often seek advice regarding dispensing options. Patients who express a preference for a home delivery option will often request staff recommend a provider on their behalf. With no objective criteria to select a provider this leaves staff in a difficult position, and providers are currently selected on a rotational basis to ensure that the service is not directing prescriptions. In order to address these issues NHS Rotherham seeks to establish a formal agreement with a Preferred Provider.
1.2.4 NHS Rotherham will select the Preferred Provide via a Competitive Procurement exercise using Evaluation criteria as stated within the tender documentation
1.3 Expected Outcomes
1.3.1 A Preferred Provider will be selected through a competitive OJEU procurement and the Rotherham Continence Service will then be able to recommend this Provider to those patients who have not expressed a preference to use either a specific DAC or community pharmacy.
1.3.2 It is envisaged that by undertaking a partnership approach it would also provide the opportunity to develop local quality standards which would act as a benchmark for service delivery.
1.3.3 The Preferred Provider would only receive prescriptions from patients who request the Rotherham Continence Service to recommend to them a provider of continence equipment/consumables.
1.3.4 Patients who express a desire to use a community pharmacy or who select a specific DAC will be free to select these alternative sources of supply for their products.
2. Scope
2.1 Service Description
2.1.1 The Preferred Provider shall be responsible for supplying a full range of continence products from all manufacturers to allow patients a wide range of choice of appliance. Such products to be supplied in response to a prescription generated by the Continence Service.
2.1.2 All medical devices supplied must be CE marked in accordance with the latest UK and European medical device legislation and must be clearly marked whether they are single use products using the recognised EU symbols on the manufacturer’s sealed packaging.
2.1.3 Delivery shall be direct to a patient’s home using vehicles that do not indicate the nature of the product being supplied, in order to protect the sensitivity of the patient’s condition.
2.1.4 Products shall be issued in quantities indicated on the individual prescription.
2.1.5 Products shall be wrapped in suitable outer protective packaging that does not indicate the content or supplier of the product type. In order to protect the integrity of the contents the Preferred Provider shall have available suitable waterproof outer packaging that may be utilised at the time of delivery during inclement weather.
Any packaging that bears the name and address of the patient shall be capable of being shredded by the patient before being disposed of in order to protect the identity of the recipient.
2.1.6 The Preferred Provider shall ensure that stock-outs are kept to a bare minimum and NHS Rotherham expects a 98% monthly service level for products delivered to patients, with no individual patient experiencing less than 98% for more than 2 months in any 12 months period.
2.1.7 In addition to the main products to be supplied to patients under the contract, the Preferred Provider shall make available a number of complementary packs of products to support patients in their daily routine, as stipulated in Part 1X of the Drug Tariff.
Such packs to comprise the following, as a minimum:
Patients Undertaking Intermittent Self Catheterisation
· One off issue of a toiletry bag for carrying equipment when away from the house;
· One off issue of a small hand mirror;
· Wipes, both wet and dry should be available to allow for individual patient preference. 2 per catheter issued;
· Disposal bags or nappy sacks. 1 per catheter issued.
Patients with Indwelling Catheters
· One off issue of a catheter bag stand;
· Wipes, both wet and dry should be available to allow for individual patient preference. 4 per day;
· Disposal bags or nappy sacks. 1 per day;
· Disposable non-sterile latex free gloves. Up to 5 per day.
Patients performing Bowel Irrigation (typical irrigation regimes will be either daily irrigation or alternate day irrigation)
· Wipes, both wet and dry should be available to allow for individual patient preference. 6 per irrigation;
· Disposal bags or nappy sacks. 1 per irrigation (The Manfred Sauer Irrigation Unit contains disposal bags as standard);
· Disposable non-sterile latex free gloves. 1 pair per irrigation.
In addition, the following to be provided for all patients:
· ‘Urgent Cards’ for patients to present should they need urgent access to toilet facilities;
· RADAR keys to allow patients to access disabled toilet facilities;
· Pre-printed letters/statements for patients who are travelling outside the UK, explaining that the patient has vital medical equipment with them.
NB Washable or disposable bed pads are not to be provided
2.1.8 The Preferred Provider should make available sample packs of products, free of charge, for supply to the Continence Service. These are for use with patients who need to try several product brands before deciding on the most appropriate product.
· Samples must not be provided directly to patients without the authority of the Rotherham Continence Service. This is not intended to stifle innovation and new product development but should allow the flow of products to patients to be controlled in a structured and managed way and allow patients to evaluate products from other providers, should they wish to exercise this choice.
· The Rotherham Continence Service will require a small Buffer Stock of products that they may draw from in cases of emergency and the Preferred Bidder will be asked to supply this on a Consignment Stock arrangement whereby they provide the initial stock and the Rotherham Continence Service replenishes the products as they are used.
The expected composition of the Buffer Stock is as below:
Quantity / Product
10 / 12ch standard length indwelling catheter
10 / 14ch standard length indwelling catheter
10 / 16ch standard length indwelling catheter
10 / 12ch standard length ISC catheter
10 / 14ch standard length ISC catheter
10 / 16ch standard length ISC catheter
10 / 18ch standard length ISC catheter
10 / 10ch female length ISC catheter
10 / 12ch female length ISC catheter
8 / Catheter valves
12 / Night drainage bags 2litre
10 / 500ml leg bags, direct inlet tube
10 / 500ml leg bags, 10cm tube
10 / 500ml leg bags, 30 cm tube
4 / Catheter retainer strap, short
6 / Catheter retainer strap, adult
4 / Catheter retainer strap, abdominal
4 / Leg bags holders, small
4 / Leg bags holders, medium
4 / Leg bags holders, large
4 / Leg bag holders, extra large
9 / Instillagel, 11ml
10 / Water for injections
4 / Catheter maintenance solution (saline)
4 / Wound care packs
4 / Medium clear, vinyl disposable gloves
8 / Cathejell, 12.5
10 / Syringes, 10ml
8 / Syringes, 50ml
· In addition to the above, The Rotherham Continence Services maintains an ‘Emergency Stock Box’ for the District Nursing Team, which is to be managed and replenished on the same basis as above.
The expected composition of the Emergency Stock Box is as below:
Quantity / Product
2 / 12ch standard length indwelling catheter
2 / 14ch standard length indwelling catheter
2 / 16ch standard length indwelling catheter
6 / 12.5ml Cathejell
5 / Water for injections
5 / 10ml syringes
5 / 12ch standard length ISC catheter
2 / Sodium Chloride catheter maintenance solution
4 / 2 litre night drainage bags
· Samples and Buffer Stock must be provided in accordance with the Department of Health’s Master Indemnity Agreement http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_117175 and thus the Preferred Provider must establish themselves as a supplier on that Agreement.
2.1.9 Literature information packs are to be provided for patients and staff including fitting guides (as appropriate), patient information leaflets and charts.
2.1.10 The Preferred Provider shall inform the Trust in writing of any proposed specification changes to services being supplied against the contract, including proposed changes to packaging, quantity or format of products. Notification of any such proposals shall be made at least 2 months prior to the proposed implementation date of any changes and the Trust reserves the right to reject such proposed changes.