Pipeline Framework: Prior Information Notice concerning provision of Autism Assessment Services in North Staffordshire & Stoke on Trent

A pipeline has been launched for Prior Information Notice concerning provision of Autism Assessment Services in North Staffordshire & Stoke on Trent.The contract start Date is 1 December 2021. Approach to market date is 24 September 2021.North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust (NSCHT) wish to understand the availability of capable providers with the capacity to fulfill a short-term contract for a children and young person’s autism diagnostic assessment service. Potential providers are asked to express an interest in potentially bidding for this service.This contract will be for the delivery of a high-quality, NICE complainant diagnostic assessment service in accordance with the service specification, to support reducing the waiting times for an assessment.Scope:Due to the demand for the service increasing significantly over the last 12 months, there is a backlog of children and young people (CYP) aged between 0-17 years who require an Autism diagnostic assessment. NSCHT wish to increase capacity by outsourcing the majority of these patients to reduce the waiting times for an assessment.The Provider will be required to deliver timely, high quality, NICE complainant Autism diagnostic assessments on a cohort of CYP that is provided to them by NSCHT.The Provider will be required to outline where and how the assessments will take place, whether these will these be face to face Autism diagnostic assessments or virtual. The face to face appointment shall be conducted within the geographic location of North Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.The Provider will be an expert provider of NICE compliant Autism diagnostic assessments and in order to be comparable with the NSCHT service, is comprised of a multidisciplinary team that is familiar with use of standardised ASD assessment tools: ADI-R, 3Di or DISCO for taking the history and ADOS-2 or BOSA for observing the CYP.NSCHT, along with North Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent CCG are looking to implement a new CYP Autism service and there may be the option to extend the contract period, subject to satisfactory performance and at the discretion of the NSCHTPopulation coveredThe population to be covered should include CYP aged 0-17 years, registered with a North Staffordshire or Stoke-on-Trent GP practice.This is a potential opportunity from the government, and the pipeline gives advance notice of an opportunity that might be offered by the public sector in the future – allowing potential suppliers to plan accordingly. When a public sector organisation publishes a pipeline notice, it does not necessarily mean that an opportunity will be offered in the future.For more information contact: Staffordshire and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit, Heron House, 120 Grove Road, Fenton, Stoke on Trent ST4 4LX. Tel: 01782 872675. Email: r.klimczak@nhs.net (Roman Klimczak)