NHS England integration pioneer site reach milestone in transforming cancer care
Plans to transform cancer care across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent over the next decade reached an important milestone today with the start of the official Procurement process to appoint a Prime Provider, to co-ordinate the provision of cancer care services in a more integrated and seamless way.
The process will follow standard NHS England and European Union rules for procurement in the public sector. The first stage is the issuing of a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire, for completion by any organisation or consortia interested in becoming the Prime Provider.
A similar, parallel exercise designed to transform End of Life Care across the geographical area will start in July 2014.
Commenting on the start of the procurement process, Andrew Donald, Accountable Officer for Cannock Chase and Stafford and Surrounds CCGs said:'
"Patients and the public across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent have told us that they believe cancer care can be improved by making it more "joined up and seamless".
"The vast majority of local people are happy with the excellent care they receive from their individual doctors, nurses, consultants and specialists but they complain about getting lost in the system, having to repeat themselves all the time, and care not always factoring in their personal circumstances."
"Four NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups in Staffordshire (Cannock Chase, North Staffordshire, Stafford and Surrounds and Stoke on Trent) and NHS England with the support of Macmillan Cancer Support, Staffordshire County Council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Public Health England are working together to change the system for providing cancer care in the future."
"Rather than have several organisations each commissioning individual services on individual contracts, we are bringing this all together and plan to appoint one lead organisation or consortia to be the Prime Provider responsible for co-ordinating cancer care in new ways, to improve outcomes and meet patients expectations.
"This is the start of an exciting journey that will take 10 years to complete and will make cancer care in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent among the best in Europe"
The programme to transform cancer and end of life care in Staffordshire is one of only 14 NHS England integration pioneers, looking to develop innovative methods of providing more integrated care.