Integrated Community Musculoskeletal and Pain Service

This Intended Approach Notice to follow the Most Suitable Provider Process relates to the decision made by NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (the Authority) to award a contract for an Integrated Community Musculoskeletal and Pain Service (the Service) via undertaking (and holding themselves bound solely by those Regulations applicable to) the Most Suitable Provider (MSP) process (the Process) as defined by Regulations 6(6) and 10 under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. Historic commissioning arrangements of the Service have led to health inequalities in access and delivery of pathways across the Mid and South Essex (MSE) Integrated Care System (ICS). Due to new ways of working, increasing collaboration, and communication across primary, community and secondary care, implementing the Service will ensure there is equitable provision and pathways for all MSE residents. Working with stakeholders the Authority developed a new community pathway for people aged 16 years+, based on the East of England Musculoskeletal (MSK) Pathway Improvement Framework, the Best MSK high impact recommendations and adhering to the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) pathway. This new model of care will provide integration across the Best MSK pathway including Single Point of Access (SPoA), clinical triage, physiotherapy, orthopaedics, spinal, rheumatology, pain management, surgical interventions and therapies across MSE. It will assess and treat more patients outside of acute services and deliver improved outcomes, quality and patient experience of care. In applying the Process, the Authority has considered the five Key Criteria and has identified the Service and proposed contracting model will support the MSK core purposes of reducing unwarranted variation, sharing best practice, improving access, outcomes and experience of patients, enabling best lifelong MSK health within all communities, and improving quality and patient safety. Additionally, it aligns with the ICS four purposes to improve outcomes in populations health and healthcare, tackle inequalities in outcomes, experience and access, enhance productivity and value for money and help the NHS support broader social and economic development. In applying this Process, the Authority has undertaken appropriate pre-market engagement to update its knowledge of relevant providers including understanding their ability to deliver the Service to the relevant local population and connections with other parts of the MSE ICS. Through clinical congress with stewards across the system, it is of the view, taking into account likely providers and all relevant information available to it at this time, that it is likely to be able to identify the MSP without running a competitive process. Further details can be found at sections II.2.4) , II.2.14) and VI.3).