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Transforming Cancer and End of Life Care Programme
Briefing Paper – March 2015
Purpose
This briefing paper provides an update on the activities of the Programme since the last
briefing paper submitted in December 2014.
Procurement
Our approach to procurement is one of engagement with providers as this is likely to
produce the most sustainable and innovative solutions. Therefore we do not intend to
specify in detail how the Programme aspirations and outcomes should be achieved, but wish
to stimulate dialogue (Competitive dialogue) with bidders, to discuss and develop the
required innovations. Competitive dialogue, involving clinicians and patients, is thus a
fundamental component of the procurement processes.
Both procurements will follow three main stages, stage 1 pre qualification questionnaire
(PQQ) stage; stage 2 Invitation to Submit Outline Solutions (ISOS) and then stage 3
Invitation to Submit Final Solutions (ISFS). Competitive dialogue is a key element of both
stage 2 and stage 3.
Since the announcement in November of the organisations that successfully pre-qualified to
bid in the next stages of the procurement process (PQQ stage), time has been spent over
the last few months reviewing the Programme to ensure alignment with the NHS England
‘Five Year Forward View’ strategic plan, as well as preparing documentation for the Invitation
to Submit Outline Solutions (ISOS), for competitive dialogue.
The second stage (ISOS) for the cancer procurement commenced on the 2nd March, with the
issuing to the bidders the ISOS documentation. The ISOS process consists of the
publication of the ISOS documents to Bidders; a range of face to face dialogue sessions with
each of the bidders as well as bidder attendance at key stakeholder workshops, with
stakeholders representing a range of community, professional and provider groups. At the
end of the ISOS stage, which will last for a number of months, each bidder will be required to
submit a business case which will then be evaluated. As with the PQQ stage, the evaluation
of the business cases will be a rigorous and comprehensive process inclusive of moderation
and consolidation meetings and subject to internal commissioner governance arrangements.
Patients are actively involved in every stage of the procurement process, and patient
champions from the Programme patient champion network have been trained and supported
to enable them to do this.
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The learning from engagement activities with the Community to date is being, and has been
used to influence the procurement process and the appointment of the Service Integrators in
the following ways:
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The detail of the requirement for Cancer Services and End of Life Care Services as
set out in the memorandum of information and prospectus;
Selection of the topics for competitive dialogue and the composition of the dialogue
panels;
The development of the questions and related assessment criteria for evaluating
bids;
The design of the contractually-binding Outcomes Framework, which the Service
Integrators must meet and against which its performance will be judged and, as
appropriate, rewarded.
It is intended that the end of life procurement process will follow a similar process and the
next stage of the end of life procurement will commence in the next few months.
Engagement
We will be continuing to listen and gather feedback from our communities throughout the
procurement process and also to continue to recruit patient champions to the Programme.
Four public events (Leek, Stoke, Stafford and Cannock) were held during February and early
March, each of which were publicised extensively in media/social media. The aim of the
public events was to discuss the aims and development of the programme and provide
members of the public with a Question and Answer session, as well as recruiting new patient
champions.
Work is commencing to look at supporting mobilisation of the contracts within the first two
years and the continued role that the community will have within that. The Programme
Partnership group (with representation from community patient and carer groups, inclusive of
Healthwatch) remit and membership is being revisited to provide a strategic focus and
insight to support this work.
Andrew Donald attended Stafford Borough Council’s health scrutiny committee on March 3.
The programme has been endorsed by the committee following questions and evidence
given by him and cancer specialist Professor Karol Sikora.
Colleagues from within the Programme are continuing to actively engage with MPs; Unison;
Cancer Not For Profit; LMCs and other key stakeholder groups.
Through its Pioneer status, the Programme also continues to engage and work with national
colleagues from the DH, NHSE, LGA and Monitor who remain supportive of the Programme.
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