Information for the Victorian Department of Health funded General Practice Respiratory Clinics
OverviewIncreasing COVID-19 cases in Victoria has highlighted the critical role of primary care in reducing demand on hospitals, including presentations to emergency departments (EDs) for respiratory-type symptoms. The Victorian Government and Victorian Primary Health Networks are collaborating to support more Victorians to access respiratory assessments and COVID-19 testing and care close to where they live. Twenty new GP respiratory clinics (GPRCs) will be rapidly set up across metropolitan Melbourne to support people of all ages with respiratory symptoms to access a comprehensive respiratory assessment (including COVID-19 testing) and receive immediate support in management of their illness. Services will be available to those with or without a Medicare card, at no cost to the patient, with the fit for purpose facility open after hours. GPRCs are required to provide service that is staffed appropriately on a 16 hours per day, 7 days a week basis, until 30 June 2022. Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (EMPHN) is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) from accredited general practices in our priority local government areas (LGAs) to rapidly establish four GP respiratory clinics that have assessment, testing and initial treatment support capabilities. Accredited general practices may express their interest in participating in the program as per the guidelines below. This EOI is intended to identify individual general practices capable of participating in this program. An EOI must be completed for each individual practice location using EMPHN’s procurement platform by visiting at www.eprocure.com.au/emphn. |
Mandatory requirements
- Respondents must be an accredited General Practice
- The proposed GPRC site must be located within one of the LGAs below:
- Banyule
- Boroondara
- Monash
- Whittlesea
3. Be able to commence the Service from 6 December 2021.
4. Agree to an external Infection Prevention Control (IPC) assessment and to action all recommendations before commencement of the service.
5. Agree to provide reporting as specified by EMPHN (reporting template will be provided at a later date to successful respondents).
This EOI has an online form to be completed by going to www.eprocure.com.au/emphn. Interested parties must register to download documents and respond online. This can be located under the RESPONSE tab.
Proposed financial structure
Set up costs
A one-off initial payment to cover the cost of setting up facilities, including minor works, procurement of equipment, consumables and other essential establishment costs up to $150,000 excluding GST (subject to PHN review and approval).
Monthly payments
Monthly operational payments of $109,794.00 to cover staffing related costs, consumables and facility running costs. (NB: clinic to claim MBS item numbers in addition). These payments are also to cover those patients without a Medicare card. All GPRC services must be bulk billed.
Indicative timetable
This EOI closes at 11:59pm AEDT on Tuesday 9 November 2021. A market briefing will be held on 3 November 2021. If required, interviews will be conducted over the following week (estimated on Wednesday 17 Nov 2021, time to be confirmed). These interviews will be to discuss and clarify the Responses included in the application.
Due to the very short timeframe for this project we hope to notify the successful respondents as soon as possible after the interviews. We will aim to complete contracts and start the Services by Monday 6th December 2021.
Unsuccessful respondents will be notified in due course following the appointment of successful ones. It is anticipated these notifications will be provided from mid-December 2021.
How to apply
Please complete the ONLINE form and specification checklist available on eProcure by going to www.eprocure.com.au/emphn.
This EOI strictly closes at 11:59pm AEDT on Tuesday 9 November 2021.
Evaluation process and due diligence
EMPHN will evaluate all respondents who meet the compliance and mandatory criteria set by EMPHN on eProcure website. Please ensure you read all parts of the EOI to understand the process for lodging a Response.
In addition to the above, we may undertake the following process and due diligence in relation to shortlisted Respondents. The findings may be taken into account in the evaluation process.
- reference check the Respondent organisation and named personnel
- interview Respondents
- arrange site-visits
- undertake a Police check for all named personnel
EMPHN may seek formal Victorian government approval, the approval of which is granted at the discretion of the relevant government department.
Contract term
EMPHN anticipates that the Contract will commence on 6 December 2021 and end on 30 June 2022.
EMPHN will provide the proposed contract terms during the EOI Open period as soon as practicable.
The program is funded by the Victorian government which reserves the right to terminate EMPHN funding at its convenience. This is passed through to the successful respondent. Additionally, the Victorian government may require additional information at any time, which EMPHN is obliged to provide. Relevant departments may list this information on their websites from time-to-time.
No contract or warranty
No legal relationship is created by the issue of this EOI, or the submission of any Responses to it.
EMPHN is under no obligation to award a contract to any respondent as a result of this EOI process.
EMPHN has taken reasonable steps to ensure that all information presented in this EOI is accurate at the time of issue. However, EMPHN accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions. Respondents should make their own enquiries about any matter relevant to the preparation of a Response.
Support
Please direct all your queries to procurement@emphn.org.au in relation to this EOI opportunity.
A market briefing was held on 3 November. The presentation and consolidated questions and answers are available for download.
Kind regards,
Procurement Team
Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network