NHS England South (South East) - Market Update: Special Care Adult Dentistry and Paediatric Dentistry services

Special Care Adult and Paediatric Dentistry - Market Update - WebEx 8th October 2019 (new date)

Further to the Market Engagement Workshops held on 15th-17th July 2019, we would like to draw your attention to the planned follow up event taking place on Tuesday 8th October at 4pm - 6 pm.

This session will enable potential bidders to receive an update from the Commissioners regarding the feedback received at each workshop and Commissioner progress to date, as part of wider engagement to help inform the re-commissioning of services.

Please register your interest in attending this WebEx by 5pm on Friday 4th October 2019, including your organisation name and those individuals who will be joining the session. You can do this via the In-Tend Portal at https://in-tendhost.co.uk/scwcsu/aspx/ProjectManage/1033

Webex details will be sent to individuals and organisations who confirm their participation for the session on 8th October from 4 pm - 6 pm.

The 8th October replaces the provisional date of 4th September 2019 which was previously shared at July's workshops (and in the presentation slides shared afterwards).

This notice is placed in order to facilitate early engagement with potential providers, and relates only to a pre-procurement market engagement workshop

NHS England South East are seeking to re-commission Special Care Adult Dentistry and Paediatric Dentistry services (currently known as Community Dental Services) in the South East of England (Thames Valley, Kent, Surrey and Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Dorset) and will be holding a procurement process to award new contracts to provide these services from April 2021

The route to market for the various service elements and geographies is still being determined but, as a guide the procurement(s) are anticipated to commence from Winter 2019. NHS England anticipates contracting for services under Personal Dental Services agreements. The total annual value of the combined services is anticipated to be in the region of c.£40m. This procurement is being carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioners

Prospective bidders are warmly invited to pre-procurement market engagement workshops being hosted by NHS England on the following dates:-

Monday 15th July 2019 in Reading* 13.00-16.30 Tuesday 16th July 2019 in Gatwick* 13.00-16.30 Wednesday 17th July 2019 in Southampton* 13.00-16.30

*We are in the process of finalising venues for events and will advise you of these when you have registered

Additional information: The aims for Special Care Adult Dentistry and Paediatric Dentistry service provision are to:

• Ensure access to dental care for children and patients with additional needs unable to receive care or treatment in a primary care setting due to their enhanced management needs • Provide care and treatment to children and those with additional needs in line with the evidence base and best practice to achieve clinically effective outcomes for patients • Contribute to the improvement of oral and general health and reduction in health inequalities of the local population with a focus on prevention both via service delivery and partnership working with a range of health care providers and other key stakeholders • Work in partnership with the wider dental system to facilitate access to early intervention for treatment to prevent the need for treatment at more advanced stage of disease

We would welcome attendance from those organisations or individuals who may be interested in bidding for these services, either in their own right or as a subcontractor, to assist the Commissioners to achieve a better understanding of the provider market. It will be an opportunity to meet with the Commissioners and stakeholders, hear more about Special Care Adult Dentistry and Paediatric Dentistry services (currently known as Community Dental Services) in the region and discuss the critical issues, challenges and opportunities that relate to future commissioning and provision of these services

A draft Specialist-led Special Care and Paediatric Dentistry Draft Service Specification has been attached to this notice.

In order to book a place, please register an expression of interest on the In-Tend e-procurement portal, as well as completing the Event Registration Questionnaire, by 12 midday on Thursday 11th July 2019

Venue details and further information will be provided to interested parties on receipt of their completed registration.

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

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. Commissioners are looking to establish what interest there might be in providing such a service from suitably qualified, capable and competent organisations.

NHS England will not be liable for costs incurred by any interested party in participating in this exercise. Interested parties should note that a response to this notice does not guarantee an automatic invitation to any subsequent formal procurement, which the commissioners will consider in due course