Provision of Part 2 of the GDC Statutory Examination - Overseas Registration Examination (ORE)

Concepts

• gdc
• gdc statutory examination
• education and training
• gdc statutory examination - overseas registration examination
• delivery of examination services
• provision of part
• clinical examination
• overseas registration examination
• uk-wide statutory regulator
• overseas dentists

Location

United Kingdom: UNITED KINGDOM

Description

The GDC intends to extend its existing contract for the Provision of Part 2 of the GDC Statutory Examination - Overseas Registration Examinations (ORE) for a period of 14 months, from 1 April 2022 to continue to fulfil the intentions of the original contract by supporting the delivery of examination services. The extension of the contract will support the reduction of the back log of examinations brought about by the impact of the COVID Pandemic.

Total Quantity or Scope

The GDC is the UK-wide statutory regulator and has a statutory duty (under the Dentists Act 1984 (as amended)) to provide a statutory examination for overseas dentists who wish to register as a dentist with the GDC. The Part 2-examination is the clinical examination, which is part of the safety-related test of competence that provides assurance that a dental professional is competent to deliver dental services. The GDC has an obligation to ensure that applicants can sit the clinical examination within five years of having passed the written examination. Given the restrictions imposed by the UK Government since March 2020 throughout the pandemic, it has not been possible to conduct the examinations during this time. As such, some applicants have not been able to sit their clinical examination within this five-year period.

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• 80000000 - Education and training services

Legal Justification

This services under the ORE contract relates to “social and other specific services” listed in Schedule 3 to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) (PCR) and is therefore subject to the ‘light touch regime’ in accordance Regulations 74 to 77 of the PCR. The Dental Act 1984 sets out the provision of these services can only be delivered by a dental authority, or a group of dental authorities. In March 2020, owing to COVID-19, a global pandemic was declared by the World Health Organisation. As a result, the UK government introduced containment measures that included travel restrictions, banning of mass gatherings, and educational institutes closing. Under those containment measures and additional ongoing containment measures placed on the NHS, it has meant that no Part 2 ORE examinations have taken place since the start of the pandemic. At the point a pandemic was declared in March 2020, the GDC was preparing to start the final 2 years of the contract for the services, which was then paused. There is now a backlog of candidates waiting to sit the examination and the GDC intends to extend the contract to resume the examination sittings in accordance with the Dental Act to address this backlog. The GDC considers that the extension of the Contract is not a substantial modification as defined in Regulation 72(8) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. (i)the modification does not render the contract materially different in character. The services to be provided by the incumbent consortium group will remain consistent and will address the backlog of applications created by the impact of the pandemic (ii) the modification of the contract does not introduce conditions that would have changed the outcome of the original procurement procedure (iii)No new suppliers are being introduced to the appointed provider. (iv)The extension includes an additional sum payable to the consortium to account for inflation, a provision for costs relating to PPE, testing and cleaning etc as may be required and additional the project management services.” The GDC intends to execute the Contract extension following the expiry of a 10-day period from the date of publication of this notice.

Other Information

** PREVIEW NOTICE, please check Find a Tender for full details. ** Provision of contracted services include: -Deliver the 4 components of the clinical examinations. -Suitable venues to hold examinations within the UK, suitable to accommodate up to c. 600 candidates per year -Provision of services, material, equipment, and personnel -Suitably qualified and experienced examiners -Project Management and administration -Candidate Management -Working with the GDC to ensure the examinations a delivered effectively and in accordance with the examination blueprint and Preparing for Practice and the ORE Advisory Group to ensure the relevant standard is maintained and the continuous improvement of the examination The GDC is currently planning a re-procurement exercise of the services to commence in 2022. To view this notice, please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=648398074 GO Reference: GO-202227-PRO-19608311