Mental Health Core Services for NHS Mid and South Essex ICB

This Prior Information Notice (PIN) is intended to notify the market of the Market Engagement event only. This PIN is NOT a call for competition. NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (hereafter referred to as “the Authority”) invites suitably qualified providers to attend a virtual Market Engagement event which will inform the market of the Authority’s intention to undertake a competitive procurement process for the provision of Mental Health Core Services (NHS Talking Therapies Service (formally known as IAPT) and Psychological Therapies for Severe Mental Health Problems Service) on Monday 24th February 2025 12:00 noon – 13:00hrs. NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board, established in July 2022, provides health and care to 1.2 million residents across the region and supersedes the previous Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). The Authority’s geographical footprint covers Mid Essex, Basildon and Brentwood, South East Essex, and Thurrock. Historical commissioning has resulted in the ICB holding separate contractual arrangements for NHS Talking Therapies Service (formally known as IAPT) and Psychological Therapies for Severe Mental Health Problems Service. The Services are currently delivered by four 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 intended objectives of the new Mental Health Core Services are: • In line with the Long-Term Plan and Joint Forward Plan (2023), with a commitment to increase access to psychological therapies with a focus on maintaining treatment times and recovery standards. • For a single system-wide offer, to amalgamate all the contracts for these services into one contract to support integration, reduce fragmentation of services and reduce the number of contracts that MSE ICB will need to manage going forward. • Enhance and improve outcomes to elicit patient safety and quality. The Authority intends to procure a new ‘Mental Health Core Service’ provision and award a single contract to a suitably, technically capable provider. To award a contract, the most suitable provider must have demonstrably satisfied the minimum Basic Selection Criteria, including financial and economical standing, and satisfy the Key Criteria assessment and the commercial envelope. The market engagement event will offer an opportunity to engage with stakeholders and for prospective service providers to learn more about the service. The procurement process and timetable will also be shared. The Market Engagement event will take place virtually via MS Teams Webinar on Monday 24th February 2025 from 12:00noon – 13:00hrs. To register interest in attending the engagement event please go to https://attain.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.html . Click on 'Register here' and follow the onscreen instructions. The relevant documentation will be available within the ‘SQ_116 - Mental Health Core Services (TT & PT SMHP) for NHS MSE ICB Market Engagement’ project.