It is currently an NHS Standard Contract Requirement for all providers of NHS-funded hip replacement and knee replacement procedures to collect and submit PROMs data to NHS Digital.

As part of the contracts between CCGs and independent or NHS providers, it has previously been a requirement for providers to use the Patient Questionnaire Framework and/or the North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative Framework to procure the collection of national PROMs data from a supplier.  This was put in place to ensure compliance with NHS Digital requirements for submitting the national PROMs data.

Following feedback received from both potential suppliers and from NHS trusts, there is no longer the requirement to procure your supplier from a framework. Any organisation, either a supplier or a healthcare provider organisation can now apply to gain Accredited Supplier status, at any point in time. Once an organisation has successfully completed the accreditation process, it will be able to collect and submit PROMs data to NHS Digital.

All the information regarding the National PROMs Supplier Accreditation Process can be found below:

• Overview of the PROMs Supplier Accreditation Process

Application Phase Documents

• National Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) Programme Guidance
• PROMs Technical Guidance
• Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) in England – A guide to PROMs methodology
• PROMs Supplier Accreditation Application Form

If providers wish to collect and submit national PROMs data themselves, then they should undertake the National PROMs Supplier Accreditation Process.

If the organisation wishes to continue to use a third party supplier to collect and submit national PROMs data then it must undertake a competitive procurement process in line with local Standing Financial Instructions and procurement law obligations, to ensure value for money and the appointment a supplier who is accredited to deliver PROMs, will adhere to the PROMs Guidance and can satisfy local requirements.

The current Accredited Suppliers for PROMs are:

• Amplitude Clinical Outcomes
• Cemplicity
• Definition Health
• NEC Software Solutions UK Limited
• Open Medical
• Otavalo Ltd
• Quality Health Ltd

Please see section 2 of the PROMs Guidance for further information about the requirements of Providers relating to the National PROMs Programme.

If you have any queries about this, please email england.proms@nhs.net.

We wrote to Trust Chief Executives and Independent Providers in September 2017 to inform them of the above changes.

In October, NHS England announced that the mandatory varicose vein surgery and groin-hernia surgery national PROM collections will be phased out from 1 October 2017.