Published date: 29 January 2021

Last edited date: 14 April 2021

This notice was replaced on 8 July 2021

This notice does not contain the most up-to-date information about this procurement. The most recent notice is:

Awarded contract (published 6 April 2023)

Closed early engagement


Contract summary

Industry

  • Health and social work services - 85000000

Location of contract

South West

Procurement reference

WA10872

Published date

29 January 2021

Closing date

28 May 2021

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

Yes

Description

This notice is placed as a Prior Information Notice in order to facilitate engagement with potential providers.

The NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE/I) Health & Justice team in the South West seeks to determine the level of interest in the provision of healthcare services to prisons across the South West region. NHSE/I are in the very early stages of engagement and Expressions of Interest (EOIs) received will be used to help NHSE/I determine their recommissioning strategy for these services.

NHSE/I is likely to commission a prime provider model for prison healthcare services in order to support integrated, patient centred care across the full range of service specialties required to manage the complex healthcare needs of those in the prison settings.

NHSE/I will hold a long-term contract (likely to be 7 years) with the prime provider, who in turn can directly provide care and/or subcontract care to other specialist providers. The prime provider will also be responsible for ensuring that all healthcare services operating within the prison work in an integrated way, delivering seamless care pathways.

The final range of in-scope services is yet to be determined, but is likely to include at a minimum, most or all of the following: primary health care, pharmacy, optometry, dental, substance misuse services and mental health provision.

Contracts are currently expected to commence on 1st October 2022 and end on 30th September 2029. Whilst we may wish to undertake further engagement with the market over the coming months, the formal stages of the procurement process are expected to commence in Summer 2021. Please note that dates may be subject to change.

There are 11 establishments across the South West and future provision is likely to be contracted via prime provider contracts for each of the following (anticipated) four lots:

1. Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire (BGSW):
• HMP Bristol (Cat B)
• HMP Ashfield (Cat C)
• HMP Erlestoke (Cat C)
• HMP Leyhill (Car D)

2. Female closed prison: HMP Eastwood Park

3. Dorset
• HMP Guys Marsh (Cat C)
• HMP/YOI Portland (Cat C)
• HMP The Verne (Cat C)

4. Devon
• HMP Exeter (Cat B)
• HMP Channings Wood (Cat C)
• HMP Dartmoor (Cat C)

The aims of these services are to:

• Ensure that people detained in the prisons are afforded provision of, and access to, appropriate services or treatment, based on assessed need and in line with current national or evidence-based guidelines.

• Ensure that the services are designed to be consistent in range, quality, accessibility and acceptability with those available to the wider community, in order to achieve equitable health outcomes between people in prison and in the wider community.

More information

Attachments

Additional text

NHSE/I and Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) are jointly committed to increasingly equitable and inclusive healthcare and that the needs of individuals are met within each setting. In order to enable continuously improved service provision, NHSE/I need to establish the most effective and efficient recommissioning model. This vision will help to meet the objectives set out in the strategy for the NHS, the Long-Term Plan and the National Partnership Agreement.

If you are interested in delivering and would consider bidding for these services, please express your interest via the In-Tend e-procurement portal by completing the market engagement questionnaire attached to this notice (and within In-Tend). Please return via the correspondence function in In-Tend.

Following receipt of expressions of interest, consideration will be given to further market engagement Spring 2021, in the form of briefing events, workshops and/or meetings.

Interested providers will be able to view the associated notice via the 'current tenders' list on the In-Tend e-procurement portal https://in-tendhost.co.uk/scwcsu/aspx/Home

Expressions of interest are welcome from providers who may be interested in these services, either in their own right as prime provider or as a subcontractor or partner.

Providers may indicate if they would like Commissioners to pass their contact details on to other providers to facilitate partnering/subcontracting opportunities. Please ensure that you indicate in your questionnaire response whether your organisation is expressing an interest as a contract holding/prime provider or as a subcontractor, and whether you would like your details to be shared.

This notice is an information gathering exercise rather than a call for competition in its own right, and therefore publication or response does not commit NHS England or respondents to a future procurement, nor provide any process exemptions or preferential treatment to any parties expressing an interest. NHS England will not be liable for costs incurred by any interested party in participating in this exercise.
This exercise is being carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioners.

The services are healthcare services falling within Schedule 3 to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ("the Regulations") which are not subject to the full regime of the Regulations, but is instead governed by the "Light Touch Regime" contained within Chapter 3, Section 7 of the Regulations (Regulations 74 to 77).

About the buyer

Contact name

Alexandra Searle

Address

South Plaza,Marlborough Street
BRISTOL
BS13NX
England

Email

Scwcsu.procurement@nhs.net