HQIP seek suitable suppliers to provide a National Clinical Audit relating to Diabetes

14 December 2009: The Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership is seeking suitable suppliers to provide a National Clinical Audit relating to Diabetes.

This has been advertised in accordance with EU requirements, ref OJEU notice 336996 - 2009 of 15/03/2009. Title UK-London: HQIP NCA 028. UK National Clinical Audit - Diabetes

Short description of the contract:
The Provision of and Project Management of a National Clinical Audit of Diabetes. This ongoing audit covering the care for adults and children with diabetes, established in 2004, triangulates data from multiple sources in England and Wales and is currently operated by the NHS Information Centre. HQIP are re-tendering for a three year period commencing 2010.The purpose of the audit is to improve the quality of care for people with diabetes by providing high quality information for service improvement by clinicians and supporting planning, policy making, commissioning, regulation and research. The current contract is due to expire during 2010-11 and tenders for two new NDAs are being invited, one on adults (focused on primary care) and one on children (focused on secondary care), both for an initial three years. Suppliers may choose to bid for one or both NDAs. If applying for both, two separate applications need to be submitted specifying how the two audits will collaborate, and suppliers are required to provide as comprehensive a response to each and every criterion as possible. It is envisaged that the successful supplier will be a partnership in which relevant clinical professions, methodologists, patients and information management experts are all engaged in the management and Governance of the audit. Strong clinical, methodological and patient leadership is essential. It is envisaged that the contract should be with a body that reflects such leadership (eg Royal college, professional association, university, charity, NHS trust, public health/quality observatory, or patient organisation).

Detailed scope of work
It is an audit of both process (seeking to assess local practice against national guidance, in particular the National Service Framework for Diabetes), and outcome. The NDA has four main objectives based on DNSF and NICE guidelines: 1. Is everyone with diabetes diagnosed and recorded on a practice diabetes register? (NSF Standard 2) 2. For people with diabetes, what is the annual rate of specific complications? (NSF Standard 11) 3. What proportions of people with diabetes receive key processes of diabetes care? (NSF Standards 4 & 10 and NICE guidelines), 4. What proportion of people with diabetes achieves treatment targets? (NSF Standard 4).
The purpose of tendering is to reinvigorate the NDA, to tackle current weaknesses and build upon the existing data and processes. The first priority will be to improve the core of the NDA - increase participation and make better use of the data already collected. As involvement is voluntary it is vital that the NDA is perceived as meaningful, timely and helpful by the wider service. The second priority will be to extend incrementally its scope and address specific additional objectives and where data cannot be sourced elsewhere.

Extension of scope - For the second year, the diabetes audit will require further development, data collection, and in depth analysis covering In-patients, foot-care, and pregnancy. This is planned to include developing a set of indicators and standards, which will be incorporated into the audit and dataset.

Suppliers will need to demonstrate:
Effective clinical leadership, including all relevant professions - Provide the necessary knowledge and experience in the management of diabetes, guiding the collection and interpretation of data and report production. Involvement of people with diabetes and their carers in its management and governance.

Methodological expertise and experience, in particular epidemiology and statistics, Information management skills and capacity - Data capture and analysis from the range of established primary care and secondary care information systems in the NHS; data in other formats from other relevant sources including measures of patients' experiences and outcomes; use of innovative approaches to data collection that minimise the burden of data acquisition; adherence to NHAS information governance regulations.

Project management skills appropriate to the size and complexity of the audits - Skills in the management and dissemination of information to stimulate improvements in the quality of care of people with diabetes through timely, appropriate and accessible reporting of information, a track record of partnership working and collaboration.

Time-limit for receipt of requests for documents 01/02/2010
Time: 12:00pm
DURATION OF CONTRACT: 3 years
CONTRACTING AUTHORITY Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership
Address: Holland House, 4 Bury Street, London, EC3A 5AW Telephone: 0207 469 2503, E-mail: procurement@HQIP.org.uk, Fax: 0207 469 2501 Contact: Contracts and Procurement

Suppliers who are interested in participating in this tender are required to confirm their interest by contacting HQIP, either by post or email. Please do not rely on telephone contact.

Equally - Suppliers who subsequently decide not to proceed to tender are requested to confirm this in writing - preferably by email to the address shown above.

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