Mental Health Core Services (TT PT SMHP) for NHS Mid and South Essex ICB

Description

This is an Intended Approach Notice to award a contract using the Most Suitable Provider Process for the Provision of Talking Therapies (TT, formally known as IAPT) and Psychological Therapies for Severe Mental Health Problems (PT SMHP) referred to within this notice as “Mental Health Core Services” (the Service) for NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (herein “The Contracting Authority”) The Service has been 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 are currently delivered by four 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 access to psychological therapies with a focus on maintaining treatment times and recovery standards. The ICB proposes a single system-wide offer, to amalgamate all the contracts for these services into one contract to support integration, reduce fragmentation of services and reduce the number of contracts that MSE ICB will need to manage going forward. This will enhance and improve outcomes to elicit patient safety and quality. 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. The Contracting Authority has worked with the incumbents 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 proposed contract duration will be for a 3-year period, with the option to extend for a further 24 months, from the 01st April 2025. The total aggregate value for the entire 5-year contract term for the Service is £84,844,761. 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. Any queries will be considered until the 28th June 2024 at 12:00 noon, in line with best practice, under Provider Selection Regime. However, 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. Lot 1: This is an Intended Approach Notice to award a contract using the Most Suitable Provider (MSP) Process. The Contracting Authority is seeking to satisfy its statutory duty to ensure service provision for the patient population of Mid and South Essex, whilst also reflecting the need for efficiencies and aligning the Service with the ICB’s strategic objectives and purposes to: - Improving the health of our population, by ensuring improved patient outcomes with a focus on quality of delivery across the ICS Ensure patients have equitable offer across the board, while encouraging partnership working amongst organisations across the system. - Enhance productivity and value for money, by reducing administration time, duplication, and overall management costs. The proposed intention of approach (MSP) under PSR will be a flexible and bespoke ‘Structured Dialogue’, which is intended to not be competitive in nature. This approach is designed to establish an Alliance, via creation of a framework of governance within which the ICB and any interested providers of the Mental Health Core Services may come together over a defined period in two-way dialogue, to both support the design of the ICBs Service Specification (“the Specification”), as well as identify a collaborative solution to such Specification. A Structured Dialogue enables the ICB and suitable, technically capable providers within the market to bring together their knowledge and expertise to develop solutions to deliver specific outcomes. The aim of this iterative two-way dialogue is to allow for greater co-production, scrutiny, and commitment. The Service: NHS Talking Therapies NHS Talking Therapies services provide support for adults with depression and anxiety disorders that can be managed effectively in a uni-professional context. NICE-recommended therapies are delivered by a single competent clinician, with or without concurrent pharmacological treatment, which is typically managed by the GP.  Core IAPT services provide treatment for people with the following common mental health problems: Agoraphobia, Body dysmorphic disorder, Depression, Generalised anxiety disorder,  Health anxiety (hypochondriasis), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Panic disorder, PTSD, Social anxiety disorder, Specific phobias (such as heights or small animals, Psychosexual, and others as per local and identified need. NHS Talking Therapies will also offer the provision of psychological interventions and support for: Adults living with Long Term Conditions (LTC). Young people over 18 newly diagnosed with an LTC. The service will also deliver health coaching for NHS resources involved in the care of people living with LTCs. The service will target service users with the following LTCs: COPD and Respiratory Services, Diabetes, Stroke, Chronic Muscular Skeletal, Cancer, Cardiovascular disease, Chronic pain, and others as per local and identified need. The Service: Psychological Therapies for SMHP (PT- SMHP) There has been a gap for psychological therapies for people with more complex needs who present in Primary Care, particularly those presenting with Personality Disorders and those with persistent psychological symptoms for whom NHS Talking Therapies are not able to best meet their needs.  Severe Mental Health Problems (SMHP) include psychosis, bipolar disorder, 'personality disorder’ and eating disorders. An integrated offer is required as part of the wider psychological model to support these individuals. The PT-SMHP will be commissioned to support the Integrated Primary Care Community Services MH (please refer to MHPs in PCN Service Spec) transformation plan by providing psychological therapies to treat the ‘missing middle’, including those on psychiatry wait lists/outpatient caseloads who have personality disorder traits or diagnosis and exceed Talking Therapies thresholds; do not require specialised secondary care MDT provision; require psychiatric medical care. Additional information: This is an Intended Approach Notice to award a contract using the Most Suitable Provider (MSP) Process to this cohort of existing providers of the Service, as a collective, for NHS MSE ICB.