NHS National Framework Agreement for Agency Nursing

1
NHS National Framework Agreement for Agency
Nursing

• Supplier Conference
• Toute Suite, NEC, Birmingham
• 24 March 2009

2
Introduction

• Carol Holroyd
• Lead Supplier Relationship Manager
• Temporary Staffing (Clinical) Team

3
Introduction

• Housekeeping
• sign in
• toilets
• fire alarms

4
Principles

• no recording or photography permitted
• questions will be taken between presentations and
  at the end
• any information presented will be made available
  on the PASA website www.pasa.nhs.uk
• a link to the correct webpage will be sent via a
  Bravo message

5
Introduction

• welcome and congratulations to everyone for
  completing the PQQ stage
• purpose of today is to provide you with
  information on
• Introduction
• Invitation to Tender Phase
• Terms and Conditions
• Engagement with the NHS
• Audit
• Completing the offer schedule
• Bravo
• Questions and Answers

6
Introduction

• Progress to date
• PQQ1 initial information gathering
• Pre award audits assessing current processes
• PQQ2 detailed information on supplier
  capability and capacity
• Each of you have passed the PQQ stage and the
  remaining evaluation will be based on cost to the
  NHS and value for money, references and audit
  scores.

7
Invitation to Tender

• What is it?
• Invitation to Tender (ITT) - Pricing phase within
  a procurement exercise, where costing and other
  information is sought from Suppliers
• When?
• After short listing suppliers following the PQQ2
  phase
• After the Terms and Conditions of Contract (Ts
  and Cs) are finalised

8
Invitation to Tender

• Process
• Ts and Cs (currently in DRAFT format)
• Suppliers have until 12.00 noon 27 March 2009 to
  comment
• Ts and Cs finalised
• Suppliers required to complete the ITT schedule
  as per the requirements of the Final Ts and Cs
• information required will include
• Supplementary pricing e.g. ENIC
• Nursing rates per SHA
• Nursing rates per sector and band
• Discounts
• full instructions for completing the ITT schedule
  are included in the Excel document

9
Evaluation

• Evaluation
• ITT will be discussed with NHS stakeholders - a
  cost assessment of all suppliers will include
• overall relative position
• comparison of supplier costings
• note any anomalies, errors, omissions,
  assumptions
• the evaluation will also take into account audit
  results and references
• under no circumstances will NHS PASA disclose any
  information to any other Suppliers about their
  submissions
• If offers are acceptable no further stages will
  be required

10
Key dates

• Anticipated issue of ITT 2 April 2009
• Anticipated receipt of tenders 30 April 2009
  
• Evaluation, stakeholder meetings and
  recommendation phase
• Anticipated award notification 15 July 2009

11
The next steps

• ensure timescales are met
• team will be available throughout to answer
  queries
• ensure initial questions sent through Bravo and
  we will call you if required
• take note of future dates and ensure appropriate
  cover
• rates submitted must be sustainable and enable
  you to meet the requirements of the terms and
  conditions of contract
• there will be hopefully just one pricing phase to
  this process please bear this in mind when
  completing tender

12
Terms and Conditions of Contract
Neil Baigent Supplier Relationship Manager
Temporary Staffing (Clinical) Team
13
Terms and Conditions of Contract (Ts and Cs)

• Objective to provide Suppliers with
• an overview of
• the proposed NHS Terms and Conditions of
  Contract and
• countering fraud within the NHS
• greater understanding of latest NHS requirements
• by highlighting a number of specific clauses and
  clarifying any issues

14
Ts and Cs

• Developed as a result of NHS stakeholder
  involvement
• Proposed Ts and Cs, including all schedules and
  annexes, set out the terms and conditions of
  contract that shall be used by all Participating
  Authorities when sourcing nurses of all bands and
  sub-job families including community services
  nurses, dental nurses, health visitors, midwives
  and theatre nurses from the Supplier
• no requirement for any NHS body or other named
  organisation to join the national framework
  agreement
• any provision of the Services to any NHS body
  within England or other named organisations must
  be supplied at all times under the national
  framework agreement, its pricing and its NHS
  Conditions of Contract

15
Ts and Cs

• NHS Terms and Conditions of Contract
• standard NHS Ts and Cs and typically general in
  nature, eg, clauses relating to
• variation of the conditions of contract
• audit
• complaints procedure
• data protection
• performance of the services
• race equality and unlawful discrimination
• compliance
• limitation of liability and insurance
• termination and default by the supplier
• transfer and sub-contracting
• inducements to purchase

16
Ts and Cs

• Schedule 1 (Definitions)
• Defines the words and expressions most commonly
  used throughout the Ts and Cs, eg
• Nurse means an Agency Worker who is or is held
  out by the Supplier to be
• (i) a nurse, midwife, health visitor, nurse
  advisor or any other category of registered
  nursing personnel on the relevant Professional
  and Regulatory Body professional register or
• (ii) a qualified ODP registered with the
  relevant Professional and Regulatory Body

17
Ts and Cs

• Schedule 2 (Staff and Agency Workers)
• Specific operational policies and procedures, eg
  sets out the following
• Suppliers staff requirements
• Agency Workers requirements
• Job Profiles
• Health Immunisation
• Agency Worker Obligations
• Uniform and Identification Badge
• Training
• Agency Worker Appraisals and Management

18
Ts and Cs

• Schedule 3 (Recruitment Procedures)
• Specific operational policies and procedures, eg
  sets out the pre-employment screening checks that
  are required to be undertaken by Supplier
• Objectives of these checks are to
• provide a safe and secure environment which
  protects patients, staff, visitors and their
  property and the physical assets of the
  organisation
• ensure that the Supplier relates the information
  provided by the Agency Worker to that person and
  is used by the Supplier to determine that the
  Agency Workers identity is genuine, relates to a
  real and living person and establishes that the
  individual owns and is rightfully using that
  information

19
Ts and Cs

• Many of these checks are required by law and
  bring together a range of guidance, advice and
  mandatory requirements from Government
  departments and other organisations.
• The Supplier shall not use any Agency Worker in
  the provision of the Services if
• they have failed such checks or
• would have failed such checks had they been
  conducted immediately prior to the Agency Worker
  being used in the provision of the Services
• Face to Face interview
• Supplier shall use only suitable trained,
  experienced and competent personnel to conduct
  face to face interviews
• Staff handbook

20
Ts and Cs

• Schedule 4 (Placement Procedures)
• Specific operational policies and procedures, eg
  sets out the placement procedures that are
  required to be undertaken by Supplier
• Agency Worker Placement Checklist
• End of Placement Assessment Reports
• NHS Counter Fraud Services timesheet requirements

21
Ts and Cs

• The Supplier shall not put forward or commit an
  Agency Worker in the provision of the Services
  until it has obtained the agreement of that
  Agency Worker to deliver those Services.
• Once agreement has been obtained, the Supplier
  shall provide for each Agency Worker put forward,
  if requested
• a completed Agency Worker Placement Procedure
  checklist
• clear copies of associated verified documentation
  retained by the Supplier on the Agency Workers
  file to demonstrate compliance with the NHS
  conditions of contract

22
Ts and Cs

• Schedule 5 (Booking Arrangements)
• Specific operational policies and procedures, eg
  sets out the booking procedures that are required
  to be undertaken by Supplier
• Response times
• Unsolicited details
• Coverage and Fill rates
• Service Availability

23
Ts and Cs

• Schedule 6 (Service Level Agreement Requirements)
• Specific operational policies and procedures, eg
  sets out the permitted content of a SLA that may
  be negotiated between the Participating Authority
  and one or more of the awarded Suppliers

24
Ts and Cs

• Schedule 7 (Payment)
• Specific operational policies and procedures, eg
  set out the payment procedures that are required
  to be undertaken by Supplier
• Contract Price
• NHS Counter Fraud Services invoicing requirements
• SLA Volume of Business Level discounts
• Accommodation Payments, Travel Expenses and other
  disbursements
• Placement Fees

25
Ts and Cs

• Schedule 8 (Quality Assurance and Supply Contract
  Monitoring)
• Specific operational policies and procedures, eg
  sets out the following requirements
• Quality Assurance
• Supply Contract Monitoring

26
Ts and Cs

• Annexes
• 1A Job Profiles
• 1B Professional and Regulatory Bodies
• 2A Recruitment Procedure Checklist
• 2B Agency Worker Placement Checklist
• 3 Agency Worker Timesheet
• 4 Certificate of Fitness for Employment
• 5 Fill Rate Calculation Methodology
• 6 Structured Reference format
• - or any other Good Industry Practice format
  that satisfies the requirements

27
Countering fraud

• NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management
  Service
• created September 1998
• responsible for investigating all fraud impacting
  upon NHS
• powers of seizure/entry/access to staff under
  Secretary of States directions

28
Countering fraud (cont.)

• There is no statutory offence of fraud
• a colloquial term for offences which involve
  the obtaining of property/monies by some form of
  deception or gaining the opportunity to do so

29
Countering fraud

• Examples of fraud include
• Falsified invoices and timesheets
• False Declarations of qualifications
• Failure to declare convictions
• False identity
• Use of false documents to gain employment and
• Working whilst off sick

30
Countering fraud (cont.)

• Worked in partnership with the NHS PASA to
• develop best practice timesheets and invoices
• incorporate other counter fraud measures
  regarding pre-employment screening checks

31
NHS Conditions of Contract

• Any comments?
• required by no later than 12.00 noon on 27 March
  2009
• via Bravo messaging service

32
Engagement with the NHS
Susan Dickson Customer Relationship
Implementation Manager (North) Temporary
Staffing (Clinical) Team
33
What will this presentation cover?

• an overview of the Customer Relationship
  Management Team
• details of the stakeholder engagement strategy
  for the new national agency nursing agreement
• progress with the regional stakeholder forums and
  next steps
• planned implementation activity post award

34
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) (1)

• work closely and collaboratively with Supplier
  Relationship Management colleagues within the
  Temporary Staffing (Clinical) Team
• CRM team consists of
• - Paddy Howlin Lead Customer Relationship
  Implementation Managers national overview
• - Susan Dickson Customer Relationship
  Implementation Manager North including
  Midlands regions
• - Penny Rogers Customer Relationship
  Implementation Manager South
• - Customer Relationship Implementation
  Advisors working across the country to provide
  support to the NHS

35
CRM (2)

• lead the implementation of all NHS PASAs
  clinical temporary staffing frameworks agreements
• raise awareness and obtain compliance to NHS
  PASAs framework agreements by promoting the key
  benefits, influencing uptake and providing the
  NHS with opportunities to achieve value for money
• provide the NHS with subject matter expertise to
  make best use of NHS PASAs framework agreements
  
• lead stakeholder engagement with Collaborative
  Procurement Organisations (CPOs) and NHS trusts
  across England

36
Stakeholder Engagement Strategy for Agency
Nursing (1)

• Development of 10 regional forums based on
  Strategic Health Authority boundaries
• Inform, discuss and agree with stakeholders NHS
  PASAs proposal and sourcing strategy for the new
  National Agency Nursing Framework Agreement
• Conduct regular meetings to update stakeholders ,
  seek their engagement and provide opportunities
  for their participation in key activities
  throughout the procurement process
• Participation of Collaborative Procurement
  Organisations and NHS trusts within each region
  (including those not part of CPOs)

37
Stakeholder Engagement Strategy for Agency
Nursing (2)

• Provide the NHS with an opportunity to influence
  the development of the new agreement (including
  pricing structure and regional supplier base)
• Upon award, maintain forums to support contract
  implementation and ongoing management/contract
  development
• Maintain awareness of the agreement at a regional
  level
• Engagement strategy designed specifically so NHS
  locally feels it has ownership for the new
  agreement leading to buy in and commitment from
  the NHS

38
Regional Forums to date

• Each of the regional forums have met twice to
  date
• Meeting 1 November/December 08
• stakeholder groups structure and objectives
• PASAs proposed sourcing strategy stakeholder
  feedback
• project timescales
• comments on draft Conditions of Contract
• information and data regarding current regional
  supply base
• Meeting 2 January 09
• update on progress of procurement process
• review of pricing structures for consideration
  obtained views and thoughts to take forward for
  the final regional pricing structures
• comments on draft job role profiles

39
Regional Forums next steps

• Meeting 3 April 2009
• confirmation on final pricing structures
• progress on project timescales and next steps
• Meeting 4 June 2009
• recommendations for contract award per region
• stakeholder comments
• update on next steps in the procurement process
• preparation for implementation
• Meeting 5 September 2009
• contract award confirmed and details of
  participating suppliers provided
• present information packs, pricing and
  implementation tools available
• implementation strategy and roll out of the new
  agreement

40
Implementation activity post award

• Providing NHS secure access to all framework
  pricing via the Agency Information Management
  System (AIMS)
• Focused marketing and implementation plan to
  supplement activity undertaken by participating
  suppliers raising further awareness of the new
  agreement and informing the NHS about the key
  benefits
• Working directly with CPOs and NHS trusts to
  implement the new agreement advice, guidance
  and support provided by the CRM team
• Development of implementation packs to support
  the roll out of the new agreement
• Ongoing management of stakeholder groups and
  relationships

41
Audit

• Jane Conway
• National Audit Programme Manager
• Nursing NFA commencement 01 October 2009

42
Pre Contract Commencement

• From now to end September 2009, the following
  processes need to be in place
• Completed registration with Commission for Social
  Care Inspection (CSCI) (now part of CQC)
• Criminal Records Bureau (CRBs) and ISA Regulated
  Activities registration
• Recruitment procedures
• Regulatory Body registration
• Training provider
• Competent Occupational Health Service provider

43
Commission for Social Care Inspection

• CSCI
• each agency wishing to supply registered nurses,
  including all its trading branches, must be
  registered with CSCI and have a current named
• Registered Manager and
• Responsible Person
• The named Manager and responsible person will
  hold a satisfactory CRB registered to that agency

44
Criminal Records Bureau

• Clause 13.2.2.1
• The supplier shall itself obtain and have
  received the results of a satisfactory Enhanced
  disclosure from the criminal records bureau
  before the supplier deploys any such agency
  worker in the provision of the services to the
  Authority.
• Enhanced disclosures to be registered in the
  Suppliers name

45
Recruitment procedures

• Annex no. 2A (Recruitment Procedures)
• Application forms
• Verified Employers References
• Verified personal identification
• Written record of the face-to-face interview
• Verified Nationality and Immigration Status
• Certificate of Fitness for Employment from
  competent OH service provider

46
Regulatory Body Registration

• The Supplier shall ensure that prior to the
  Agency Worker being supplied in the provision of
  the Services, the Agency Worker complies with the
  requirements as set out by relevant Professional
  and Regulatory bodys standards of competence,
  training and proficiencies, as appropriate eg,
• GDC (Dental nurses)
• HPC (ODPs)
• NMC (registered nurses and health visitors)

47
Training

• Section 7 (Training) of Schedule 2 (Staff and
  Agency Workers)
• The Supplier shall ensure that prior to the
  Agency Worker being supplied in the provision of
  the Services that the Agency Worker has received
  induction and thereafter on an annual basis (with
  the exception of life support which shall be
  renewed in accordance with the latest
  Resuscitation Council UK and the Authoritys
  guidelines)

48
OH Provider

• Section 4 (Health Immunisation) of Schedule 2
  (Staff and Agency Workers)
• If the Supplier does not have its own
  occupational health service that meets the
  requirements, it must establish contractual
  arrangements with either an NHS body that offers
  an occupational health service or other competent
  occupational health service, to ensure that
  expert and comprehensive health assessments are
  undertaken on all Agency Workers prior to being
  supplied in the provision of the Services

49
Immunisation

• Paragraph 4.6.2.
• Has demonstrated the required levels of immunity
  Or received immunisation, as appropriate, in
  respect of the following diseases, in accordance
  with latest Department of Health guidelines
  regarding healthcare workers
• Hepatitis B
• Measles
• Mumps
• Rubella
• Tuberculosis
• Varicella

50
Immunisation

• Paragraph 4.6.3
• in the case of an Agency Worker who may
  reasonably be expected in the course of their
  normal duties to perform Exposure Prone
  Procedures, in addition to the requirements of
  paragraph 4.6.2 above, has demonstrated that the
  required blood tests using identified, validated
  samples have been conducted and appropriate
  negative results for the following diseases have
  been received
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C and
• HIV

51
Essential reading

• NHS Employment Check Standards, NHS Employers,
  March 2008
• National Minimum Standards for Nurses Agencies,
  Department of Health, January 2003
• Nurses Agencies Regulations 2002
• Care Standards Act 2000
• Code of Practice for the International
  Recruitment of healthcare professionals,
  Department of Health, December 2004
• A Good Practice Guide on Pre-Employment
  Screening, Centre for the Protection of National
  Infrastructure, February 2008

52
Independent Safeguarding Authority

• Implementation from 01 October 2009
• Clause 13.2.3.
• The Supplier has obtained and received the
  results of a Regulated activity registration
  status check for that agency worker with the ISA
  before the worker is supplied in the provision of
  services to the Authority

53
Contact

• National Audit
• nationalaudit_at_pasa.nhs.uk

54
Completing the Offer Schedule
Laura Hale Category Specialist Supplier
Relationship Management Temporary Staffing
(Clinical) Team
55
Offer schedule

• complete for each Strategic Health Authority 10
• complete for each Home Country e.g. Scotland,
  Wales, Northern Ireland their participation is
  optional and this tender does not automatically
  override any current arrangements
• Review of offer schedule

56
Invitation to tender - Bravo

• Juliet Pollard
• Sourcing Manager

57
Important dates

• 2 April 2009 anticipated issue of ITT documents
  via Bravo
• 28 April 2009 anticipated deadline for queries
  to be submitted via Bravo message system
  (Deadline 12.00 noon)
• 30 April 2009 anticipated deadline for ITT
  submissions (Deadline 12.00 noon)

58
Attachments

• Offer schedule
• Naming protocol Supplier Name filename
• (e.g. ABC Nurse Offer Schedule)

59
Actions

• Ensure Bravo profile contact details (especially
  e-mail addresses) are kept up to date
• Ensure access is available to the system
• Check all message notifications
• Advise of any problems as soon as possible
• Reject ITT if not going ahead with response
• DONT LEAVE IT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE!!!

60
Contacts

• Bravo messaging system
• NHS PASA Sourcing (project specific)
• Helen Hess 0114 229 9953 / 07876 508629
• helen.hess_at_pasa.nh.uk
• Bravo helpdesk (technical queries)
• 0800 0112470
• help_at_bravosolution.co.uk

61
Questions and Answers

62
Question and answer Session

• Carol Holroyd Lead SR Manager
• Neil Baigent SR Manager
• Jane Conway Audit Programme Manager
• Susan Dickson CRIM Manager (North)
• Linda Carpenter SR Specialist
• Laura Hale SR Specialist
• Kim Law SR Specialist
• Siu Fong Yau Data Analyst
• Juliet Pollard Sourcing Manager
• Louise Monahan SR Support