Primary Care Mental Health Services for NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board

This is an Intended Approach Notice to award a contract using the Most Suitable Provider Process for the Provision of Physical Health Checks for Serious Mental Illness (PHC SMI) and Mental Health Practitioner in Primary Care Networks (including Mental Health ARRS) herein referred to as "Primary Care Mental Health Services" (the Service) for NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (NHS MSE ICB) (herein “The Contracting Authority”) The Services were historically commissioned under separate contractual arrangements held by the individual Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). The ICB was established on 1st April 2022, replacing the CCGs as the Contracting Authority. As a result, these contracts will now be subsumed into a single contract commissioned by the Contracting Authority. The Services (PHC SMI and Mental Health Practitioner in Primary Care Networks (including MH ARRS) are currently delivered by three different providers through a multifaceted approach with differing offers across the system which is reflective of the previous CCG individual commissioning pathways, resulting in inequitable offers across the population of MSE. The Long-Term Plan and Joint Forward Plan (2023) states a commitment to increase the number of Physical Health Checks for SMI, as well as supporting for this group in Primary Care by breaking down the traditional primary/secondary mental health care pathways and closing gaps in provision.  The ICB has proposed a single system-wide offer, to amalgamate all of the contracts for these services into one potential contract to support integration, reduce fragmentation of services and reduce the number of contracts that NHS MSE ICB will need to manage going forward. This will enhance and improve outcomes to elicit patient safety and quality. The Contracting Authority has worked with the three incumbent providers of these services and is of the view that this cohort of existing providers have the necessary experience, knowledge and skills to offer a collaborative provision via a lead provider model. Recognition that the services will need to do more with less funding and recognising the benefits and efficiencies of doing things once. Providers will also need to share risk and invest in the service provision through this collaborative partnership. The Contracting Authority intends to award a single contract to suitably, technically capable provider. In order to award a contract, the most suitable provider must have demonstrably satisfied the minimum Basic Selection Criteria, including financial and economical standing, satisfying the Key Criteria assessment and the commercial envelope. The awarded provider will be expected to share the risk, resources, capacity and to work collaboratively with the ICB. The Contracting Authority has considered which providers may be capable of providing the Service for the relevant patient population in Mid and South Essex. The Contracting Authority is of the view, considering providers that they understand are likely to have the ability to deliver services to the relevant population, and all relevant information available at this time that it is likely able to identify the most suitable provider. For absolute clarity, the Contracting Authority have worked with the incumbents and are of the view that these providers have the necessary experience, knowledge, and skills to offer a collaborative provision via a lead provider model. Any queries will be considered until the 09th September 2024 at 17:30hrs, in line with best practice, under Provider Selection Regime. Emails should be sent to: cariad.burgess@attain.co.uk. However, please note that any interested providers will be required to satisfy the requirements as outlined above, including the sharing of risk, investment and collaboration through partnership in the service provision.