Health services

Tender description

The Mid and South Essex Health and Care Partnership Partnership CCG Joint Committee (MSE STP JC), as delegated by the five CCGs of NHS Basildon and Brentwood CCG, NHS Castle Point and Rochford CCG, NHS Mid Essex CCG, NHS Southend CCG and NHS Thurrock CCG have made a decision to award a contract for a non-emergency patient transport service (NEPTS) from 1 April 2021-31 March 22 with an option to extend for a further 12 months from 1 April 2022-31 March 2023. The service covers land-based provision (for all ages) with the exception of secure mental health transport; encompassing: • booking and eligibility assessment; • transportation of patients; and • on site support at local NHS Acute Trusts. The service will also be provided to patients registered with NHS West Essex CCG in relation to journeys to/from the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre. The Mid and South Essex Health and Care Partnership (HCP) CCG Joint Committee on behalf of the aforementioned CCGs took a decision in mid-January 2020 to commence a procurement process for NEPTS. The project was progressing at pace and as per timeline, however, as a direct result of the Covid-19 Pandemic, the CCG's decided to delay commencement of this procurement due to impact of Covid-19 on PTS delivery, the shift in the acute model towards virtual outpatients and to ensure provider and commissioner resources were being applied to the Covid-incident. The Joint Committee agreed a provisional plan to relaunch the procurement in Spring 2021 resulting in the new service commencing April 2022. On 2 July the Joint Committee agreed that it wouldn't be viable to deliver the new service via the previous timescale of a 1 April commencement, by running a procurement process, while both the CCGs and providers were continuing to respond to the Covid pandemic. Given the uncertainty of the coming months, a contract extension of 12 months with an option to extend for a further 12-month was approved, to mitigate the risk that any further incidents or issues associated with the pandemic prevent the procurement commencing as planned again. The CCGs propose to extend their current contracts for the provision of NEPTS to incumbent providers from 1 April 2021-31 March 22, with an option to extend for a further 12 months from 1 April 2022-31 March 2023. The aggregate contract value communicated in this notice is for the proposed 2-year term at £XXXX. This equates to £xxxxx per annum. The additional contractual term will allow for a future procurement and will allow the commissioners sufficient time to undertake the relevant engagement with all stakeholders to inform a robust procurement process, which aims to award a new longer term contract whilst ensuring continuity of care for its patient population. The MSE STP JC agreed a provisional plan to relaunch in Spring 2021, with the procurement and mobilisation periods resulting in the new service commencing April 2022. However, given the uncertainty of the coming months, a contract extension of 12 months with an option to extend for a further 12 months was proposed, enabling a further extension to be undertaken, should any further incidents or issues associated with the pandemic, prevent the procurement commencing as planned again. The commissioning of NEPTS for MSE STP falls under the ‘Light Touch’ Regime (Schedule 3 ‘social and other specific services’ of the Public Contract Regulations 2015) because clinical interaction is a significant part of the specification. The aggregate contract value communicated in this notice is for the proposed two year term at c.£[XXX] per annum.