Adult teledermatology service procurement

NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) is set to procure a new adult teledermatology service for people living in the region.

Teledermatology is the use of digital images to triage, diagnose, monitor or assess skin conditions without the patient being physically present.
The ICB is being supported by NHS Shared Business Services to undertake a competitive procurement process in line with the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) regulations.

A prior information notice (PIN) has been published and can be viewed here: The Provision of Lancashire and South Cumbria (LSC) Adult Teledermatology Service on behalf of NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (NHS LSC ICB) - Find a Tender

Further information about the PSR can be found on the NHS England website: NHS England » The Provider Selection Regime: statutory guidance

Providers will be invited to bid for the new three-year contract, with an option to extend for a further two years, as part of the competitive tender process which is expected to launch in July 2026. The new contract is set to go live in early 2027.

The newly commissioned service will continue the work of the pre-procurement pilot (which has been running from 2024-26) and is intended to provide a long-term solution to workforce shortages, high and rising demand in both dermatology pathways and cancer services, variability and inequity across regions and limited capacity in primary and secondary care.

The service aims to deliver a pre-secondary care referral teledermatology pathway, delivered closer to patients’ homes, whilst maintaining effective triage of teledermoscopy images taken on Urgent Suspected Cancer (USC) pathways in Lancashire and South Cumbria Trusts.

The service model includes:

• A centralised referral hub (SkinHub) responsible for managing requests for teledermatology and checking suitability, as well as actioning re-directions following Central Virtual Triage (CVT); 
• Image capture spoke sites responsible for taking images of patient’s lesions in a community setting; and 
• Teledermoscopy virtual image review (tele-triage) provided by a specialist CVT team for all images taken in image capture spoke sites or on Trust USC pathways at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals (BTH), East Lancashire Hospitals Trust (ELHT), Lancashire Teaching Hospitals (LTHTR) and University Hospital of Morecambe Bay Trust (UHMBT). 

The SkinHub will act as a centralised place for Lancashire and South Cumbria GPs to electronically refer patients who could be suitable for pre-secondary care teledermatology. The SkinHub will appropriately assess all GP referrals against a clinical protocol to determine suitability for the teledermatology pathway and book appropriate patients an appointment at an image capture spoke site of their choice. 

The service provider will run at least one image capture spoke site in each of the following areas: Blackburn w/Darwen; Blackpool; Chorley and South Ribble; East Lancashire; Fylde and Wyre; Greater Preston; Lancashire North and West Lancashire.

The service provider will be responsible for the CVT service, which will provide remote, virtual clinical triage of all images taken across LSC for patients on a teledermatology pathway (either taken at SkinHub image capture spoke sites or as part of Skin USC Trust pathways).

Overall, the service has been designed to ensure timely access, effective triage and the use of the most appropriate approach to meet clinical need. By enabling specialist review without requiring a physical appointment, the pathway supports faster diagnosis while maintaining safety and patient rights.

We have collected a significant amount of patient feedback throughout the pilot of this model, which has been outstandingly positive. The feedback has helped shape the service we are now procuring. 

We are seeking a patient representative from the ICB’s Influence Panel to be a voice on our procurement panel. The patient representative will act as an evaluator for question related to patient engagement and experience.