Establishment of a Multi Supplier Framework Agreement for the Provision of Private Healthcare Services

AI-generated analysis of the documents. Check the official notice and any amendments for current submission details.

1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) seeks to establish a multi-supplier framework agreement with private healthcare providers to offer additional healthcare capacity. This framework will be used to procure inpatient, day case, and outpatient services for public patients when the public healthcare system cannot meet demand. The framework will operate across six distinct lots, and successful providers will be invited to mini-competitions for specific service requirements.

The scope of services includes:

• Lot 1: Adult Day Case Procedures: Planned admissions for elective procedures that do not require an overnight stay.
• Lot 2: Adult Inpatient Procedures: Planned admissions requiring a hospital bed for one or more nights following a procedure.
• Lot 3: Adult Outpatient Services: Specialist scheduled care provided on an outpatient basis, including consultations, diagnostics, and minor surgical outpatient services. Clinically required follow-on inpatient or day case procedures for patients in this lot are expected to be provided by the same healthcare provider.
• Lot 4: Paediatric Day Case Procedures: Planned admissions for elective paediatric procedures not requiring an overnight stay.
• Lot 5: Paediatric Inpatient Procedures: Planned admissions for paediatric procedures requiring a hospital bed for one or more nights.
• Lot 6: Paediatric Outpatient Services: Specialist scheduled paediatric care on an outpatient basis, including consultations, diagnostics, and minor surgical outpatient services. Clinically required follow-on inpatient or day case procedures for patients in this lot are expected to be provided by the same healthcare provider.

For each lot, providers must be capable of delivering a full episode of care, which may include diagnostics and ancillary services. The NTPF may set prices for services during the mini-competition phase, or providers may be asked to submit their own pricing. Providers are expected to have appropriate facilities, resources, and experience to deliver safe care. This may involve site visits by the NTPF to verify suitability.

3. Background & buyer context

The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) is an independent statutory body responsible for arranging hospital treatment for specific classes of persons as determined by the Minister for Health. This procurement aims to establish a framework of private healthcare providers to supplement public healthcare capacity and manage inpatient, day case, and outpatient waiting lists. The initiative aligns with the NTPF's statutory responsibility to ensure the provision of healthcare services. The procurement is being conducted under the Light Touch Regime applicable to social and other specific services, following EU Directive 2014/24/EU. The framework is intended to be multi-annual, providing a flexible mechanism for the NTPF to procure additional healthcare capacity as needs arise.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Tenderers must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered for admission to the framework. These requirements are evaluated on a Pass/Fail basis, except for 'Demonstrated Track Record' which is scored.

• Turnover requirement: Not specified for this tender.
• Insurance:
• Employers Liability: Minimum limit of indemnity at €13,000,000 per any one incident/unlimited any one period.
• Public Liability: Minimum limit of indemnity at €13,000,000 per any one incident/unlimited any one period.
• Products Liability: Minimum limit of indemnity at €13,000,000 in the aggregate for any one period.
• Medical Malpractice Indemnity: Minimum limit of indemnity at €6,500,000 per any one Claim OR minimum limit of €30,000,000 in the aggregate in any one period.
• Professional Indemnity (including Administration Negligence and Data Protection Indemnity): Minimum limit of indemnity at €6,500,000 in the aggregate in any one period.
• Certifications:
• Accreditation by a recognised independent body (e.g., The Joint Commission International (JCI), CHKS, RQIA, or equivalent) is mandatory for all lots.
• Compliance with relevant National Policies for Risk & Incident Management.
• Consultants must be on the relevant specialty register. For paediatric lots, consultants must be on the Irish Medical Council’s specialist register with a paediatric specialism.
• Past experience:
• Demonstrated track record in the provision of similar services over the last three years. This is scored out of 5, with a minimum score of 3/5 required for admission to each lot.
• Personnel:
• Sufficient professional staff qualified for their roles and registered with the relevant governing authority.
• Consultant-led teams are required for all care episodes.
• For inpatient lots, 24-hour on-site experienced medical cover is required.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender, beyond the requirement for providers to be capable of independently delivering services.

5. Award criteria & scoring

Admission to the framework is based on meeting mandatory requirements. There is no limit to the number of providers admitted to each lot. Award of Call-Off Contracts will occur through mini-competitions. The evaluation criteria for framework admission are:

Criterion Weight (%) Sub-criteria