Fertility service for preservation and use of reproductive tissue

Description

NHS England would like to identify suitably qualified and experienced providers who are interested in being part of an integrated single fertility preservation service for people at high risk/very high risk of infertility and endocrine failure. A previous market engagement exercise was undertaken in February 2023 as part of the work to support the case for the service to attain NHSE commissioning which was confirmed in August 2023. The key objective of this Market Engagement process is to update the market with detail about the finalised proposed model for delivery and the requirements of the service specifications. This will enable commissioners to assess providers' interest, capability and capacity to provide this Service(s) to serve the population of England. The population covered by the service specifications include people who meet the eligibility criteria, supported by evidence. Given the specialised nature of this service, referrals from the devolved nations and further afield may also be received and accepted subject to appropriate commissioning arrangements and approvals. The service will be delivered through an integrated hub and spoke model to support integrated service delivery. The Hub will be located in a hospital based clinical service and will provide the leadership, advice and co-ordination/monitoring for the overall fertility preservation programme. This model centralises the specialist fertility expertise in the Hub whilst enabling, ovarian and testicular tissue collection to take place in the service user's surgical treatment centre (Spokes). The Hub and Spokes will work with a tissue establishment that can cryopreserve ovarian and testicular tissue with pathways into services that can provide fertility and endocrine restoration using cryopreserved ovarian tissue (but not for testicular tissue at this stage as this treatment is not yet clinically available). It is anticipated that this service will be commissioned under 6 Lots as detailed below. The Hub(s)/TE(s) sites will work with a network of spoke sites. It is anticipated that direct awards will be made to the Spoke sites as part of NHSE existing arrangements with children and young adult cancer PTCs/BMT centres and are thus not identified as a separate Lot. Providers can express interest in one, multiple or all Lots, depending on their capability and capacity: The Fertility Service is a National Service and Providers who express interest in individual lots must demonstrate how they will work with other Providers to ensure equity of access and quality of service across England. Additional information: • Lot 1 - Hub covering North West, North East, Yorkshire & Humber and the Midlands NHS Regions • Lot 2 - Hub covering East of England, London, South East and South West NHS Regions • Lot 3 - Tissue Establishment covering North West, North East, Yorkshire & Humber Regions and the Midlands NHS Regions • Lot 4 Tissue Establishment covering East of England, London, South East and South West Regions • Lot 5 - Fertility and Endocrine Restoration Services covering North West, North East, Yorkshire and Humber and Midlands NHS Regions • Lot 6 Fertility and Endocrine Restoration Services covering East of England, London, South East and South West NHS Regions There are three service specifications that describe an integrated single fertility preservation and restoration service. The link to the service specifications is here: NHS England » Service specifications: fertility preservation and restoration This notice is to advise prospective providers in the market of the commissioner's intention to commission this service. The outcome of this market engagement will help inform commissioners of the current and future capacity and capability of the market and will be considered with other evidence to inform the commissioning approach. It is possible that as a result of this exercise, a formal tender process may not be required but instead a simpler provider selection process will be undertaken. Where it is noted that competition is absent in any of the Lots, direct awards may be considered. All providers will be notified of next steps following the conclusion of this market engagement exercise. An assurance process may be required if a direct award is recommended. It is anticipated that the contract duration for this service will be 5 years, including an option to extend for an additional 5 years.