Community-based direct access unscheduled care services (Brent)

NHS Brent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is exploring the delivery of unscheduled care with regards to the following existing services:

• Brent Urgent Care Centre (UCC);
• GP Out-of-Hours Service (GP OOH);
• Brent GP Access Walk-in Centre (WiC).

The CCG is inviting interested parties to engage with it on future provision of these services with a view to seeking input and feedback from potential providers of these services to help inform the CCG as it considers its requirements and routes to market.

The above services are part of a number of unscheduled care services available to patients within the Brent borough boundaries, currently being delivered by various providers.

NHS England has made a commitment to developing a coherent 24/7 urgent care service in every area of England that makes sense to patients when having to make choices about care and to drive the integration of services. It also committed to the provision of integrated NHS services seven days a week in order that patients experience genuine seven day care. In Brent it is expected that better integration will be delivered through:

• Improved communications within and between service providers;
• Improved coordination of services;
• Reduced duplication of services and activities.

A draft Memorandum of Information (MoI) and draft current service specification are available for review. An engagement questionnaire has also been developed to capture input from providers to help inform the CCG’s key decisions around these services.

The current contract value relating to the above services is a total of circa £5M. If the CCG decides to undertake a formal procurement process then this is anticipated to commence in September 2015 through a notice on Contracts Finder, with the intention to have a contract(s) awarded by the end of January 2016 and for services to commence by May 2016 for the UCC and July 2016 for the WiC.

Note: An expression of interest is no indication of a commitment to participate in any subsequent procurement process, nor does it infer any special status on those providers who do submit an interest. Neither will this notice or any organisation’s expression of interest commit the CCG to undertake any procurement of the Community-based direct access unscheduled care services & the CCG has a right to withdraw the notice.

***Providers are invited to express their interest in the early engagement via emailing the completed questionnaire to alex_long@nhs.net. THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS is 12 NOON, 13TH JULY 2015.