Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2019-07-23
Buyer: NHS Midlands and Lancashire CSU
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Open procedure
CPV classification: 85100000: Health services | 85121270 | 85312300
Submission deadline: 2019-09-20
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire, North Staffordshire, South East Staffordshire and Seisdon Peninsular, Stafford and Surrounds and Stoke-on-Trent CCGs currently commission an Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service based in various locations across Staffordshire. This is offered on a basis of direct referral to patients registered with GPs contracted with these CCGs. Commissioners wish to procure an IAPT service for the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent STP footprint via a competitive tender for a single lead (or prime) provider. The successful bidder shall be expected to work with the community and voluntary sector to deliver the Service, particularly in relation to the non-IAPT element of the service. The overall aim of the service is to provide timely and responsive psychological service to the people of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire who are experiencing any mental health problem that can be treated effectively in primary care.
Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire, North Staffordshire, South East Staffordshire and Seisdon Peninsular, Stafford and Surrounds and Stoke-on-Trent CCGs currently commission an Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service based in various locations across Staffordshire. This is offered on a basis of direct referral to patients registered with GPs contracted with these CCGs. Commissioners wish to tender for an IAPT service on the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent STP footprint via a competitive tender for a single lead (or prime) provider. The successful bidder shall be expected to work with the community and voluntary sector to deliver the service, particularly in relation to the non-IAPT element of the service. The overall aim of the service is to provide timely and responsive psychological service to the people of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire who are experiencing any mental health problem that can be treated effectively in primary care – a single point of access for all mental health problems in primary care. This will include both:
— the treatment of common mental health problems (depression and anxiety disorders) where those conditions can be managed in primary care, as part of the improving access to psychological therapies programme, delivered by IAPT workers,
— the treatment of other ‘Non-IAPT’ mental health problems that can benefit from an evidence-based psychological therapy, delivered by ‘Non-IAPT’ workers (e.g. community mental health nurses, counsellors, therapists, recovery/support workers, peer support workers and other mental health professionals. The provider shall deliver a high quality, patient-centred service that enables people with mental health problems to improve their well-being and functionality, thereby reducing the need for more specialist services (either for their mental or physical health). Therefore, the service shall also provide the connectivity for service users in terms of their wider care, ensuring that it is inclusive of both mental health and physical health problems.
Delivery will be an integral aspect of primary care services therefore flexibility will be key in order to ensure individual GP practice needs can be met. The vision for the service is the provision of an integrated primary care mental health service which is accessible, flexible and innovative in addressing the needs of the individuals accessing the service. In order to achieve this, therapists should work as part of GP practice teams, working flexibly to meet the individual needs of each practice. Commissioners also wish the Service to be integrated with long term condition teams, and primary care teams, providing psychological therapies within a stepped care model, to people who are experiencing common mental health problems (the IAPT section of the service), and other mental health problems (the Non-IAPT section of the service). A full list of the underlying principles and aims and objectives of the service are provided within the service specification.
Light Touch Regime' services: This procurement is for clinical services which are light touch regime services for the purpose of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 as specified in Schedule 3 of the Regulations ('Regulations'). Accordingly, the Contracting Authorities are only bound by those parts of the Regulations detailed in Chapter 3 Particular Procurement Regimes Section 7. The Contracting Authorities are not voluntarily following any other part of the regulations. The procedure which the Contracting Authorities are following is set out in Annex 1. As the CCG is a relevant body for the purpose of the National Health Service (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) (No 2) Regulations 2013 these regulations also apply to this procurement.
Right to cancel: The Contracting Authority reserves the right to discontinue the procurement process at any time, which shall include the right not to award a contract or contracts, and does not bind itself to accept the lowest tender, or any tender received, and reserves the right to award a contract in part, or to call for new tenders should it consider this necessary.
The Contracting Authority shall not be liable for any costs or expenses incurred by any candidate or tenderer in connection with the completion and return of the information requested in this Contract Notice, or in the completion or submission of any tender, irrespective of the outcome of the competition or if the competition is cancelled or postponed.
All dates, time periods and values specified in this notice are provisional and the Contracting Authority reserves the right to change these.
Transparency: the Contracting Authority is subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR) and may be required to disclose information received in the course of this procurement under FOIA or the EIR.
In addition, and in accordance with the UK Government's policies on transparency, the Contracting Authority intends to publish procurement documentation and the text of any resulting contractual arrangements, subject to possible redactions at the discretion of the Contracting Authority.
Any redactions, whether in relation to information requests under FOIA, the EIR or policies on transparency will be in accordance with those grounds prescribed under the Freedom of Information Act.
This tender will be operated via electronic means using the internet. Midlands and Lancashire CSU is conducting this procurement exercise as a central purchasing body for another NHS body with whom the successful bidder(s) will enter into contracts for the supply of the services.
Any other public-sector body detailed within this notice, wishing to access the contract may do so only with permission from the contracting NHS body.
Should the contract be awarded, it will be for 3 years with an option to extend by up to another 24 months.