Physical Health Assessment Screen and Intervene Service for People with Severe Mental Illness - West Sussex

Description

This notice details the intention to award a contract under the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) 2023 - Direct Award Process C. The service seeks to improve outcomes for people living with Severe Mental Illness (SMI). The life expectancy for people with SMI is 15-20 years lower than the general population. This disparity in health outcomes is partly due to physical health needs being overlooked. This service will seek to address the following key areas amongst others: • Smoking is the largest avoidable cause of premature death, with more than 40% of adults with SMI smoking. • Individuals with SMI also have double the risk of obesity and diabetes, three times the risk of hypertension and metabolic syndrome, and five times the risk of dyslipidaemia (imbalance of lipids in the bloodstream) than the general population. The service ensures individuals living with SMI are consistently offered appropriate and timely physical health assessments despite their higher risk of poor physical health. Individuals are supported to use available health information and offered advice or to take up tests and interventions that reduce the risk of preventable health conditions. The service works proactively with Primary Care Networks (PCNs) to generate referrals for people on their Practice SMI Registers. The key target groups being those who need support to attend/engage with the Physical Health Check (PHC) and those having been identified as likely to benefit from Health Improvement intervention as a result of the PHC. Referrals originate predominantly from PCNs/Practices; however, referrals from other agencies are acceptable should people meet the qualifying diagnosis. Lot 1: This notice details the intention to award a contract under the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) 2023 - Direct Award Process C. People living with Severe Mental Illness (SMI) face one of the greatest health inequality gaps in England. The provision of a Screen and Intervene Mental Health Support Service addresses an urgent need to provide greater and more targeted support for people living with SMI in West Sussex and to ensure equity of access and consistency of provision alongside the models already in place in East Sussex (in arrangements led by East Sussex County Council) and Brighton & Hove. The service is well received by patients, who report feeling listened to and are appreciative of the tailored support offered. This service is part of the wider recommissioning of Mental Health Support Services across West Sussex and Brighton and Hove. A pan-Sussex approach to Mental Health Support Services has been taken, with Brighton & Hove and West Sussex undertaking a joint procurement of services. The timeframe for the re-procurement is anticipated to have new services in place from 1st October 2025. This 6-month direct award intention for the period 1st April 2025-1st October 2025 is to ensure consistency of service provision between the expiry of the existing contract and the commencement of new contracts for Mental Health Support Services on 1st October 2025. This short-term direct award decision has been taken to align with the date of commencement of the new services to ensure no gap in service provision as it is imperative that these services remain in place to ensure people can continue to access services. Attendance of Physical Health Checks for people will Severe Mental Illness remains a priority for the organisation to meet targets locally and also remains high on the national agenda. This contract is being awarded under Direct Award Process C of the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) 2023 for the following reasons: • the relevant authority is not required to follow direct award processes A or B • the term of the existing contract is due to expire, and the relevant authority is proposing a new contract to replace that existing contract at the end of its term • the proposed contracting arrangements are not changing considerably from the existing contract • the relevant authority is of the view that the existing provider is satisfying the existing contract to a sufficient standard, according to the detail outlined in the contract, and also taking into account the key criteria and applying the basic selection criteria • the relevant authority is of the view that the existing provider will likely satisfy the proposed contract to a sufficient standard taking into account the key criteria and applying the basic selection criteria • the procurement is not to conclude a framework agreement or to award a contract based on a framework agreement. The service evaluation was reviewed against the 5 key criteria and weighted accordingly: • Quality & Innovation (20%) • Value (20%) • Integration, collaboration & service sustainability (25%) • Improving access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choice (25%) • Social value (10%) This notice is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The award of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Any representations by providers in relation to this intention, must be submitted via e-mail to the relevant authority's representative sarah.rix1@nhs.net before midnight of the 30th September 2024.