Sight Testing for Children and Young People in Special Educational Settings

Tender description

NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) Integrated Care Board, NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board and NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board ("the Commissioners") are currently working together in a formal "clustering" arrangement to prepare for their merger into a single, new organisation (name to be confirmed), effective from 1st April 2027. The Commissioners sought to appoint a provider or consortium of providers to deliver sight testing to children and young people in special educational settings (SES) across the BSW, Somerset and Dorset footprints in line with the specified requirements. The service will provide routine appointments, triage and treatment to all children and young people with SEND needs in residential and day SES within BSW, Somerset and Dorset (including Bournemouth and Poole) with onward referral where appropriate. Key Service Objectives: • Providing annual sight tests in the school setting (unless a more frequent interval is clinically indicated). • Close collaboration with school staff, parents, and carers • Provide guidance and support based on individual specific needs and their medical history. • Obtain written consent from pupils/parents/carers/guardians. • Enable attendance from parents/carers/guardians to the sight test and selection of frames. • Offer a range of suitable frames or NHS optical voucher for high street use. • Provide an eye health outcome and vision report. • Appropriate onward referral. The contract will be for an initial 3 year term with an optional extension of any period up to 2 years. The new service will commence on the 1st April 2027. This procurement was managed by NHS South, Central & West (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioners. SCW is currently subject to restructuring, and the management of this award may therefore move to a successor at some point during the procurement process.  Bidders will be informed of any such change, and any administrative changes because of it. Lot 1: This is an intention to award notice to a contract under the competitive process for a new service to a new provider. NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) Integrated Care Board, NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board and NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board ("the Commissioners") are currently working together in a formal "clustering" arrangement to prepare for their merger into a single, new organisation (name to be confirmed), effective from 1st April 2027. The Commissioners sought to appoint a provider or consortium of providers to deliver sight testing to children and young people in special educational settings (SES) across the BSW, Somerset and Dorset footprints in line with the specified requirements. The service will provide routine appointments, triage and treatment to all children and young people with SEND needs in residential and day SES within BSW, Somerset and Dorset (including Bournemouth and Poole) with onward referral where appropriate. Key Service Objectives: • Providing annual sight tests in the school setting (unless a more frequent interval is clinically indicated). • Close collaboration with school staff, parents, and carers • Provide guidance and support based on individual specific needs and their medical history. • Obtain written consent from pupils/parents/carers/guardians. • Enable attendance from parents/carers/guardians to the sight test and selection of frames. • Offer a range of suitable frames or NHS optical voucher for high street use. • Provide an eye health outcome and vision report. • Appropriate onward referral. The contract will be for an initial 3 year term with an optional extension of any period up to 2 years. The contract will be tariff based with an anticipated value per ICB of: BSW ICB £177,000 per annum. Somerset ICB £135,000 per annum. Dorset ICB £187,000 per annum. The total contract value is £499,000 per annum, giving a contract value of £1,497,000 for the initial 3 year term and £2,495,000 if the full extension period is adopted. All values provided are inclusive of any non-recoverable VAT. A full breakdown of costs is provided in the tender documentation. Additional monies of up to a maximum of £60,000 is available for mobilisation as detailed within the tender documentation. The total costs awarded for this support will be agreed at the discretion of the commissioners. The initial contract term will commence on the 1st April 2027 until the 31st March 2030. This procurement was managed by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioners.