Member Info for Vascular

Coffeecup. Have a read of the half year RNS on the 7th Feb 23.

Cash as at 30 November 2022 of £9,228k (31 May 2022: £10,306k)

Very well situated for cash in bank.

https://fbkmed.com/hewitt-review-response/

I wonder if the nine month extension awarded to FDBK at QVH is a temporary financial squeeze.

Business Meeting of the Board of Directors Thursday 2 March 2023

If you go to 196-23 Chief Executive’s report
"Community diagnostics centre (CDC)- the Trust’s CCD business case has been
approved and QVH will receive £1.937m in 2023/24 and a further £6.706m the
following financial year"
and
"The Board noted that the Integrated Care Boards will take over responsibility for specialist
commissioning from April 2024, and that this will simplify the commissioning process."

https://www.qvh.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Papers-PUBLIC-Board-meeting-2-March-2023-2.pdf

I'm sure there are a number of different pricing strategies in launching a new product. IMO I think discounting on launch is a good idea in the case of Eroxon as it is a lifestyle choice type product and the more people try it the better because say over 50% of people who purchase the product, find it helps their ED ...they will become regular buyers, ( say monthly) then you can see how the numbers and sale could stack up once they have significant loyal customers.

I think certain products if they please the customer, and go some way to solving their dilemma can demand a premium price later such as ***s, alcohol, CBD products, etc etc .

So to start off selling at a discount should get more people to trying it...the 50% whom do not like will never been seen again, but the 50% who do...hopefully will become regular users and psychologically , when the price reverts to its full retail price existing customers will see this as the discount is now over, and not interpret it a price hike.

Greater Manchester advances digital pathology with Sectra.

https://www.digitalhealth.net/2023/04/greater-manchester-advances-digital-pathology-with-sectra/

sorry just to add that the tender info out at present is not the new tender but an invitation for a Market Engagement for the Provision of a Digital Communication Platform for the Community Diagnostic Sentry (CDC). The actual new tender will follow, hopefully in a month or so.

Its all a bit last minute ...after such a timeline of FDBK and QVH working together so successfully...

There are seventeen hospitals and four clinics in Queen Victoria Hospital Trust. One of which is QVH . It was the Trust that abandoned the tender at the last minute, not the QV hospital. They did not " not appoint an award", they decided to cancel and renew the tender ...and allow FDBK to continue the work that was probably included in the new tender anyway for next nine months while they can have a months consultation with anyone interested in the tender , before the tender is advertised again for an award.....my gut tells me that the trust want to go further than the original tender . This trust and QVH are the exemplar site for the breathless pathway, ...just my thoughts.

This is how i understood the process up until recently.

https://www.ardengemcsu.nhs.uk/nhs-england-community-diagnostic-centres-framework/

I never quite understand why, if FDBK where the only supplier why their solution could not be purchased directly form the Framework. If another company also available then it goes to mini competition, but not a full tender process.

Confused as form what we know now its going through a pre tender process for one month , then a tender .

Morning Seav1ew,
I thought that was one of the aims of the gov. procurement framework. If there where just a couple of recognised company's qualified and able to supplying a solution on framework then their would be a mini competition between them, and if there was just one company with solution then they can procure quickly, directly and fast from the Framework agreement - miss out a lot of this pre tender , then tender stuff.

saying that, from what i have read and tried to understand , but could be wrong is this one month pre tender period where the commissioners and the suppliers have a pre questionnaire, and talk to each other to explore ...is new, and part of the new commissioning set up form April this year....its very complex when you start reading up on it and easy to get confused as so many frameworks, so many different rules and regs, many changes, etc i could be wrong.

Interested company's have exactly one month (4th may) to express their interest in the tender which ( the actual tender) should follow promptly, hopefully.

"Details on the market engagement event will be related to the interested parties in due course. Please ensure that you express interest in this PIN notice by 4th May 2023 to be considered"

The previous tender which was aborted was advertised as a proper tender on 30th Jan 23, and closed end of March 23. That's a two month time period to decide....so award could be late July / August !if they are quick getting actual tender out and follow same time lines as previously... unless they have a way of fast tracking .

Well done Barnacle. That was quick!

sorry to labour this point but i think its important
The RNS stated
"This paid extension, which follows the success of the Company's existing contract (details of which were announced by Feedback on 6 September 2022), follows the abandonment of the Trust's previous procurement process in March 2023 and will cover the period from 1 April 2023 until 31 December 2023 whilst QVH undertakes a new tender exercise".

Its clear it was QVH who aborted the tender process at the last minute. If QVH had not found a supplier to meet the tender spec then they would have not awarded a suppler and retendered. I think the fact that the process was aborted instead of no award is probably highly significant and leads me to think its red tape issues rather than any fault of FDBKs - especially when QVH are happy to extend FDBKS tender by another none months, pay them and are happy for them to continue doing what they originally set out to do.

Any issues with FDBKS solution and i think they would not have extended their contract, which is imo an endorsement. .

That's true ndr50. However, they are invited to tender again! Taking a really bad and i think unlikely scenario - that FDBKs solution was not meeting the objectives that QVH are looking for a) why did QVH extend their contract again b) it gives FDBK time to ensure that they do tender for, and deliver what is required this second time.

The delay is a pain, we all feel it - but IMO this is the usual NHS red tape / political F*£K up , and now with a new, faster procurement platform going live sometime soon, this may be a positive for FDBK especially with other interested party's.

If I were Tom, i would make sure he has some positive development news to share with the market fairly soon , just to demonstrate this is not FDBKs entire offering being delayed ( even though they will be getting revenue !!), just one important contract, which should come good later this year. Confirmation that this adornment of contract at such a late stage is not a reflection on FDBK's offering would also be appreciated.
But yes, we will know for a fact until the winner is declared.

During these times knowing that this share goes up as fast as it goes down is a relief.

I have a mind , if i can be bothered ( maybe someone else can) , go though the last presentation and post all the positives mentioned ........and we can then keep a track, and tick them off when and if they appear. There was a a lot.

Well, not what i was expecting !

However, need to put this into perspective .
FDBK have not lost the tender, in fact they are invited to continue working on it for next nine months - so will be being progressed in that time. Infact they mention the previous contract was a success.
This paid extension, which follows the success of the Company's existing contract "

FDBK will be getting paid for this new tender, for nine months.
"This paid extension, which follows the success of the Company's existing contract "
The new tender specification will be released soon
" A new tender process for the next phase of the CDC programme rollout is due to commence imminently"

Also Further to the Government’s consultation on procurement reform, a new public procurement regime will come into effect in 2023
"What’s changing?

The 4 existing sets of public regulations (the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016, the Concession Contracts Regulations 2016 and the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011) will be replaced by a single new regulatory framework.
There will be one joined-up procurement system so that suppliers only have to give their core credentials once, in one place.
More flexibility for public sector procurement professionals will enable better-designed procurement processes and the freedom to talk to suppliers much earlier and throughout the process, to share problems and reimagine innovative solutions to deliver the best possible outcomes. "

2QVH undertakes a new tender exercise under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. A new tender process for the next phase of the CDC programme rollout is due to commence imminently."

The RNS stated that the new tender will be under Public Contracts Reg 2015....so applies to previous tender also ,i guess.

"QVH undertakes a new tender exercise under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. A new tender process for the next phase of the CDC programme rollout is due to commence imminently"
https://www.techuk.org/resource/how-public-procurement-will-change-in-2023.html

I'm not sure Barney, but i think Sarah Woolnough - Chief Executive of Asthma and lung Health UK is involved.
"Sarah is CEO of Asthma + Lung UK, leading the fight to improve care and support for everyone with a lung condition. She oversees all aspects of the organisation. Sarah is Co-Chair of the NHS England National Respiratory Board, which directs NHS England’s efforts to improve outcomes for those with lung disease. She also sits on the Board of the Accelerating Access Collaborative, a key government initiative aimed at encouraging swifter adoption of new technologies and treatments to tackle ill health"
https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/about-us/our-leadership-team

This is well worth a read also
Calls for breathlessness hub pilots to be expanded to improve COPD diagnosis
"One-stop diagnostic hubs for patients with breathlessness should be rolled out across the UK to improve the speed and accuracy of COPD diagnosis, a charity has urged.

In its annual report on COPD care, Asthma and Lung UK said almost a quarter of patients wait five year or more before their condition is diagnosed and 12% of 6,500 patients surveyed had waited more than a decade.

Some community diagnostic centres have been piloting the use of a pre-diagnosis breathlessness pathway, the charity said, but this approach now needs to be rolled out nationally as a matter of urgency.

This would mean any patients presenting with breathlessness with no obvious diagnosis would be referred to a diagnostic hub to have an assessment by heart, respiratory and mental health experts before onward specialist referral and treatment where necessary.

The report said: ‘A pre-diagnosis breathlessness pathway is currently being piloted in England. We want to see this fully implemented within community diagnostic centres (CDCs), as well as across general practice and any other settings where COPD may be suspected (such as Accident and Emergency, walk-in centres, and non-respiratory specialities in secondary care).

‘In the devolved nations, we would like to see Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland follow and implement their own breathlessness pathways, so no one in the UK experiencing key symptoms, such as being short of breath, is left behind.’

https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/clinical-areas/respiratory/calls-for-breathlessness-hub-pilots-to-be-expanded-to-improve-copd-diagnosis/

we should definitely do some more research and find out who exactly are, and what this National Team are called and which work stream QVH and hopefully BLEEPA are working on.

I do like this sentence "QVH is a leader in this innovative work, working closely with the national team to further develop" !!.

QVH advertised for a Project and Delivery Manager NHS AfC: Band 7 recently. The closing date for application was 21/02/2023 23:59.
However i could not find the job description until today because the post was closed and all links taken down . I have now found it by doing a cache search. It looks like the tender will be going forward otherwise this post would not have been advertised. Just need confirmation its FDBK .

"Job overview
An exciting opportunity has become available within the QVH Community Diagnostic Centre for a Project and Delivery Manager to lead and support the project into the second year and beyond. This role involves the further development of a digital platform for communication between primary care and QVH, supporting patient through a breathlessness pathway, supported by clinical leads and a wider multidisciplinary team.

Main duties of the job
Queen Victoria Hospital as an early adopter in the Sussex ICS and has been leading the development of this new service model and patient pathways including the breathlessness pathway. QVH is a leader in this innovative work, working closely with the national team to further develop.

The Project and Dlivery Manager will be key to the ongoing development and workstreams set out within the proposed plan, supporting and further developing clinical pathways, digital connection and estates planning."
The post holder will support the Deputy Director of Operations and the Operational team to ensure that their work stream of programmes are planned and managed effectively and take the lead in assisting in their successful delivery.

The post holder will be required to maintain constructive relationships with a broad range of stakeholders and participate in relevant working groups/projects, services and initiatives to provide, information and analytical advice and expertise.

The role will be to further develop and implement data collection systems that will provide accurate and timely data, presenting the information and issues, explaining highly complex issues, to a wide range of stakeholders both internally and externally."
https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:zTtdhlbV53cJ:https://www.healthjobsuk.com/job/UK/West_Sussex/East_Grinstead/Queen_Victoria_Hospital_NHS_Foundation_Trust/Admin/Admin-v4862803&cd=12&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

more here

"
It is also an annual assessment. As data security standards evolve, the requirements of the DSPT are reviewed and updated to ensure they are aligned with current best practice. Organisations with access to NHS patient data must therefore review and submit their annual assessment each year before the deadline."

"Completion of the DSPT is therefore a contractual requirement specified in the NHS England Standard Conditions contract and it remains Department of Health and Social Care policy that all bodies that process NHS patient information for whatever purpose provide assurances via the DSPT.

Completion of the DSPT is also necessary for organisations which use national systems such as NHSmail and the e-referral service."

"Once you have published your assessment, you will receive a confirmation email. Your completed status can also be confirmed by using the Organisation Search function on the Toolkit – the content of which is updated every 10 minutes."
https://www.dsptoolkit.nhs.uk/Help/Overview

Barnacle,
This is an annual check and its Interesting if you look at dates of previous tests which all all align with end of March.
So maybe!
https://www.dsptoolkit.nhs.uk/OrganisationSearch/8HR22