Provision of Urgent Award of Diagnostic Healthcare Limited Community Ultrasound (Non-Obstetric) Service on behalf of NHS Mid and South Essex ICB

A direct access non-obstetric ultrasound provision for adults and the service is intended to aid early diagnostics and avoid the need for unnecessary referral to secondary care for conditions that can be appropriately managed within a Primary Care setting or to support the shift of activity into a primary care setting.

There is a need for an urgent award of contracts for direct access ultrasound and for a period of 12 months (01st April 2025- 31st March 2026) to ensure the MSEFT have sufficient time to procure the CDC capacity. Risk to patient safety through increased (long) waiting times unless an arrangement is in place for 1 April 2025 as all direct access would then be referred into MSEFT who have confirmed they cannot absorb the activity within current capacity. An urgent award is required for continuity of service and safety of patients requiring direct access diagnostics.

The current contract with the incumbent (Diagnostic Healthcare Limited ) expires on 31st March 2025 and as a consequence there is a requirement to award a 12 month contract from 01st April 2025 to 31st March 2026.

The value is a £0 value contract – paid at local prices – planning value for 2024-25 is £244,802 which is subject to any uplift applied to 2025-26.