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

Description

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. 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: • Improve the health of our population, by ensuring improved patient outcomes with a focus on quality of delivery across the ICS. • Ensure patients have an 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. • Promote a whole system approach and harmonise the current services. • By aligning the contracts, the ICB intends to identify better value for money and efficiencies in the utilising of resources from estates, digital infrastructures, workforce. As well as seeing data quality reporting improvement. 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 Primary Care Mental Health Services may come together over a defined period in two-way dialogue, to 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 two-way dialogue is to allow for greater co-production, scrutiny, and commitment. 'Primary Care Mental Health Services' comprises of two services: 1. Physical Health Checks for Serious Mental Illness. People living with SMI face one of the greatest health inequality gaps in England. 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. The target for the GP practices and providers is to ensure that at least 75% of people on the GP SMI register have an annual physical health check and follow-up as required and are supported to access relevant interventions in relation to their physical health. Adults 18+ that meet criteria for eligibility for SMI health checks include a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorders or other psychotic disorders and those prescribed lithium. The total aggregate contract value for this service will be approx. £3,273,209. 2. Mental Health Practitioners in PCNs. The Mental Health Practitioner role for adults and older adults should support people with complex mental health needs that are not suitable for Talking Therapies provision. This aligns with the Long Term Plan commitment to design integrated mental health pathways across primary and secondary care for people with SMI. Adults 18+ with common and serious mental illness will be offered access to a wide range of services including, but not limited to, personalised and trauma-informed care, psychological therapies, physical health checks, medicine management and care services. The total aggregate contract value for this service will be approx. £48,788,932. 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 two combined Primary Care Mental Health Services for the entire 5-year contract term is £52,062,141.00, as outlined in this FTS notice. Any queries will be considered until the 09th September 2024 at 17:30hrs and emails should be sent to: cariad.burgess@attain.co.uk. Additional information: This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intended approach notice. The awarding 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 intention is to award a contract using the MSP process. The award decision-makers is NHS MSE ICB.