North of England Commissioning Support (NECS) on behalf of several Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) across the North East are inviting bids from potential provider organisations in respect of a Regional Home Oxygen — Assessment and Review Service.

North of England Commissioning Support (NECS) on behalf of several Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) across the North East and Cumbria are inviting bids from potential provider organisations in respect of a Regional Home Oxygen — Assessment and Review Service.

The aim of the service is to offer the provision of a high quality evidence based assessment, management, education and support service for adult patients who require long term oxygen therapy within a community setting, implementing appropriate systems to avoid unnecessary expenditure and hospital admission in accordance with the following objectives which will support the CCG's strategic plans:

— To improve the quality of life for people requiring oxygen therapy;

— To educate patients and their carers on the effective use and management of oxygen therapy;

— To ensure all patients with oxygen saturation (SaO2) of 92 percent or less receive a formal assessment for Long-Term Oxygen Therapy;

— To ensure all assessments and reviews are undertaken in accordance with the British Thoracic Society (BTS) Guidelines;

— Build effective working relations with the oxygen supply company;

— To work collaboratively with primary care, community and secondary care respiratory services;

— To carry out ambulatory oxygen assessments and the prescribing of oxygen;

— To reduce the number of inappropriate oxygen prescriptions;

— To improve service consistency, delivery and access for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a cost effective manner;

— To avoid unnecessary hospital admissions through the provision of a Home Oxygen Assessment and Review;

— To demonstrate some initial savings through identification of inappropriate use oxygen use.

North of England Commissioning Support Service (NECS) is a commissioning support service hosted by NHS England and will manage the procurement for an on behalf of the CCGs (the contracting authorities).

It has been determined that the procurement exercise will satisfy the service needs, as detailed below:

— North East (NHS Darlington CCG, NHS North Durham CCG, NHS DDES CCG, NHS Newcastle Gateshead CCG, NHS South Tees CCG, NHS South Tyneside CCG, NHS Sunderland CCG).