Morecambe Bay CCG: Voluntary Ex-Ante Competition Notice (VEAT) Online Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Assessment & Diagnostic Service

NHS Morecambe Bay CCG: Voluntary Ex-Ante Competition Notice

Adult ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) Service

*Please note this is not a call for competition and not a contract opportunity. *

NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit (CSU) are working on behalf of Morecambe Bay CCG in their capacity as Co-ordinating Commissioner for ADHD services. The contract is awarded without prior publication on behalf of:

NHS Fylde & Wyre CCG NHS West Lancs CCG NHS Preston CCG NHS Chorley & South Ribble CCG NHS East Lancs CCG NHS Blackburn with Darwen CCG

The above-named CCGs have collaborated in the intended direct award of a 12-month contract for Adult ADHD services to Psychiatry UK Ltd, without a call for competition.

Please see below for the service specification and justification for the urgent need to directly award this contract in accordance with the regulatory conditions.

Additional information: This Contract Award Notice is published under the Public Contract Regulations 2015. It is for clinical services which are Light Touch Regime services for the purpose of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ('Regulations') as specified in Schedule 3 of the Regulations. Accordingly, the contracting authority is only bound by those parts of the Regulations detailed in Chapter 3 Particular Procurement Regimes Section 7. The contracting authority is not voluntarily following any other part of the Regulations.

The contract is intended to be let in accordance with Regulation 50 and the strict regulatory conditions for letting a contract without prior publication or formal competition due to extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable by the contracting entity, namely the termination of the current contract without prior agreement of the usual period 12 month notice period.

The CCG considers the criteria for exceptional conditions of extreme urgency and the criteria for patient best interest benefits have been met due to:

1. The urgent unforeseeable requirement for a provider to provide the services at short notice.

2. The Covid-19 pandemic has added additional urgency to the sourcing of a supplier. Rapid mobilisation of a contract is required to ensure continuity of service provision and the ability to process referrals in readiness for the easing of the lockdown. It is deemed in the best interests of patients to commence the service immediately without a formal procurement process by contracting with an existing provider currently commissioned by Morecambe Bay CCG.

3. Only the minimum urgent requirements have been provided for within this contract which includes a minimum term of 9 months and a maximum term of 12 months.

4. Value for money is assured as far as is possible without completing a competitive procurement procedure, since there has been no increase to the current contract value 2020/2021.

5. The value of the contract is below the OJEU advertising threshold. The direct award of this short-term contract for only the immediate need will allow commissioners time to analyse demand and plan a competitive procurement process for the longer-term Adult ADHD service specification requirements.

Following publication of this notice on Wednesday 1st July 2020, there will be a 10-day standstill period, concluding on Monday 13th July. Following satisfactory conclusion of the standstill period, the CCG will enter into a contract with Psychiatry UK Ltd for a period of 9 months with the option to extend for a further 3 months.