Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Framework

Description

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (YAS) on behalf of the Northern Ambulance Alliance (NAA) are issuing this Prior Information Notice (PIN). The NAA are seeking to establish a framework for the provision of IT solutions for emergency contact (999), NHS 111 contact and the management of patient transport services (PTS). Please note that when the formal Tender is issued it may be issued from one of the other collaborating Ambulance Services.The NAA (https://northernambulancealliance.nhs.uk/) consists of four Ambulance services in the North of England: North East (NEAS), North West (NWAS), East Midlands (EMAS) and Yorkshire (YAS). As part of its digital workstream, the NAA is looking at the provision of a new, potentially centralised, national Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) solution which will be delivered to some or all of the current members of the NAA.Aims and Objectives of the Procurement• Better patient care as a result of cross boundary flexibility:o Improve response times through the ability to dispatch vehicles across trust boundaries through an interoperable 999 CAD that allows Trusts to have visibility of the location, availability and capability of any ambulance vehicle in the NAA areao Reduce delays in all services through a more effective allocation of surge capacity from one Trust to another, including the mutual support for clinical assessment• Allow the passage of appropriate patient data between trusts for all services• Place the NAA at the forefront of digital transformation across the ambulance service as a result of the successful collaboration between the Trusts in the delivery of national initiatives for 999, 111 and PTS• Deliver financial savings for contributing trusts by improving value for money in procurement costs through the creation of a framework• Support cost savings as a result of the procurement of a common solution, thereafter reducing in service costs through a shared support model• Potential financial savings resulting from a reduction in the number of technical failover sites required across the NAA as a result of the ability of the Trusts to mutually support each otherIndustry Engagement DayIn association with Tech UK (https://www.techuk.org) the NAA will be hosting an industry engagement day. This will provide suppliers with the opportunity to engage with and excite the NAA with the potential of their solutions. The industry day will be followed by a request for indicative costs to inform the Outline Business Case. Suppliers are invited to express an interest in participating in the industry day from now until 29th January 2021. All who express an interest will be sent an application pack. The industry day will take place following the initial assessment of responses and is expected to be conducted early March 2021. Expressions of interest should be made to the In-tend portal as directed above, with a copy by email to kirste.mellish:nhs.net Please note: YAS is issuing this notice as a request for information only. This notice does not represent an invitation to tender, nor is it a request for formal expressions of interest. The industry engagement event and any associated documentation issued do not form part of any invitation to tender. Any organisation or individual attending the engagement event is doing so to support market research only and to help make the potential commissioning process more focussed and efficient. No supplier selection or supplier preference is implied. Any information provided by YAS about the requirement and procurement process to be followed is indicative only, and subject to change / confirmation. Potential responders will not be prejudiced in any future procurement processes by either responding or not responding to this soft market engagement exercise. Lot 1: Solution ScopeCapability ScopeThe common CAD programme provides suppliers with the opportunity to deliver a modern world class responsive intuitive solution enhancing the operational capabilities of the NAA Trusts.In doing this, the solution(s) must demonstrate the ability to evolve with ever changing demands and priorities thus delivering tangible benefits across the scope and throughout the duration of the contract.The scope of the solution(s) encompasses three broad areas of capability:• Emergency Contact (principally 999)• NHS 111 • Patient Transport Services (PTS)And within these areas of capability, the solution(s) will:• Support national 999,111 and PTS initiatives including full reporting compliance, determination of metrics and KPIs• Provide cross border and cross agency visibility of resources and other geolocated entities.• Enable cross border deployment of resources and support cross-organisation load sharing to facilitate the efficient use of operational resource• Secure sharing of data, including patient data, between Trusts and other agencies• Provide interoperation between the areas of capability such as the transference of requests between 999 and PTS • Have the capability to scale beyond the NAA Trusts and up to a National LevelIntegration ScopeThe solution(s) are expected to make integrations with a number of key systems, including:• Individual Trust’s telephony / communication platforms• The national Ambulance Radio Programme (ARP) Control Room Solution (CRS) provided through the Frequentis LifeX product for access to Airwave and ESN services• The national Ambulance Radio Programme (ARP) National Mobilisation Application (NMA) supplied by Terrafix• Data source and decision support services including:o Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) – AMPDS via Priority Dispatch Corpo Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) – NHS Pathways (via NHS Digital) EISEC / AMLSupplier ScopeSuppliers are expected to provide, either directly or indirectly through sub-contractors, the following capabilities:• The design and provision of IT infrastructure be it on or off-premise• Installation and commission of the solution in cooperation with NAA technical resources• Provide training support across all areas of need• Support and maintenance appropriate to availability requirements of the solutionDeploymentThe NAA welcomes and encourages industry input on the benefits of off-premise deployment. Given the nature of solution it is likely that the procurement will favour an off-premise hosted deployment.Timeframe for implementationIt is anticipated that a call-off will be made against the new framework shortly after award by the to-be-appointed lead Trust, with the implementation programme commencing Q1 2022.