Provision of Electronic Eyecare Referral System to NHS England and NHS Improvement North East and Yorkshire Region

Description

NHSX have created a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) to enable the rapid transformation of new referral management pathways for ophthalmology patients. The Electronic Eyecare Referral System will be available to all optometrists, eye hospitals, trusts with eye departments and community eye services across the North East and Yorkshire Region. The North East and Yorkshire region comprises of 4 Integrated Care Systems, Humber Coast & Vale ICS, West Yorkshire & Harrogate ICS, South Yorkshire & Bassetlaw ICS and North East & North Cumbria ICS. Lot 1: NHSX have created a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) to enable the rapid transformation of new referral management pathways for ophthalmology patients. The North East and Yorkshire Region have awarded a contract for an Electronic Eyecare Referral System (EERS). This Procurement process is looking to address and improve the connectivity that links primary care optometry and the hospital eye service which is seen as key to improving eye care services in England. The ambition is to have numerous trained and well-equipped primary care optometrists with the ability to make clinical decisions based on quantitative and imaging clinical data. This will provide significant opportunities to use digital connectivity to improve eye care. NHSX considers digital solutions that increase connectivity between different providers of eye care horizontally and vertically, and across primary and secondary care, to be a key enabler for the national outpatient transformation programme. This will rapidly restore and ensure continuation of eye care services during COVID-19 and transform how services are delivered in the future. The EERS will be available to all optometrists, eye hospitals, trusts with eye departments and community eye services across the North East and Yorkshire Region. The North East and Yorkshire Region comprises of 4 Integrated Care Systems, Humber Coast & Vale ICS, West Yorkshire & Harrogate ICS, South Yorkshire & Bassetlaw ICS and North East & North Cumbria ICS. This procurement process was facilitated by the NHS England National and Commercial Procurement Hub (commissioned from the SCW CSU) on behalf of the Commissioners.