Intermediate Care Beds - Lewisham

NHS London Shared Services (LSS) is requesting market feedback, on behalf of NHS South East London Clinical Commissioning Group (SEL CCG) (the Authority), to inform an upcoming procurement for the provision of 20 intermediate care beds within the London Borough of Lewisham.

Intermediate care is a short-term intervention to preserve the independence of people who might otherwise face unnecessarily prolonged hospital stays or inappropriate admission to hospital or residential care.

Bed-based intermediate care aims to prevent unnecessary admissions to acute hospitals and premature admissions to long-term care, and to support timely discharge from hospital. For most people, interventions last up to 6 weeks. Services are usually delivered by a multidisciplinary team commonly led by healthcare professionals but including front line care staff (in care homes). Therapy input will be delivered by the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust (LGT) Therapy Team with programmes supported by the care home / provider staff.

In order to assist the Authority with testing its assumptions and proposed service requirements, a market engagement questionnaire (MEQ) has been published to explore the market's feedback on the following areas:

• the draft service specification

• timescales for procurement and mobilisation of the new contract

• proposed contract duration and financial model

The maximum contract value is £1,038,735 per annum and the duration of the proposed contract is 3 years followed by an optional extension of a further 2 years at the discretion of the Authority. This is subject to approval and feedback from the market on the draft contract commercials is requested.

A draft service specification and financial model are available for download via the tender portal.

The service specification, contract values and contract duration stipulated are all in draft and are being developed at the time of publication of this MEQ. Feedback from this MEQ exercise will be considered by the commissioners before the service specification and other contract parameters are finalised for the next stage of the process.

Interested organisations are asked to submit responses to the questionnaire using the template provided, available for download via the e-tendering portal ProContract (link below).

https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=dfbb4d11-a0e5-ec11-8115-005056b64545

Please complete the MEQ template and return this via the ProContract portal messaging facility by 12noon on 1st July 2022.

Interested organisations must express an interest in the project via the Pro-contract e-tendering portal to access the MEQ. Respondents will need to register on Pro-contract if they are not registered already. This can be done by clicking the below link.

https://procontract.due-north.com/Register

Once registered, you can express an interest in this project, access and download the MEQ then complete and submit the MEQ form via the portal messaging facility.

Additional information: SELCCG (Lewisham Borough) will be procuring for 20 beds in a community setting within the London Borough of Lewisham for bed-based rehabilitation.

The indicative contract duration is 3 years with an option to extend for 2 years. This is subject to approval and feedback from the market on the draft contract commercials is requested.

The provider will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days of the year and ensure there is adequate staff to support patients in the beds.

The patient criteria will be adults aged 18+ who are registered with a Lewisham GP and reside within the London Borough of Lewisham. Patients will have no further acute medical need and are willing to return home and are motivated to return to former independence. The length of stay will be up to 6 weeks.

Referrals to the service will be accepted up until 5pm, 7 days a week and transfers will be arranged through the referring Trust (unless a step up from the Community).

The main service outcome will be to deliver a bed based rehabilitation service (with up to 6 double handed beds) for patients requiring rehab and assessment for longer term care needs as well as support patients requiring 'step up' to a community bed - which in turn supports the reduction in avoidable admissions.

The Provider will make available adequate space and equipment to provide physiotherapy and occupational therapy to enable patients pursue their rehabilitation goals.

The provider will need to accommodate the Therapies Team from Monday to Friday within a secured office environment as well as ensuring they provide adequate staffing to patients in the 20 allocated beds.

The 20 designated beds would require en-suite facilities. Meals and refreshments will be provided to patients accepted for bed-based rehabilitation.

The provider will maintain Care Quality Commission registration and adhere to the Essential Standards of Quality and Safety. It is expected that the Service Provider ensures that policies, procedures and practices are regularly reviewed and that the following list of standards/good practice guidance are adhered to (where appropriate):

• The National Service Framework for Older People.

• The National Service Framework for Mental Health.

• Department of Health (DOH) Guidance as issued.

• National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) Standards.

• DOH Guidance on Infection Control.

• The Administration and Control of Medicines in Care Homes - Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.

• Mental Capacity Act 2005 Personal Accommodation

In line with the Health and Care Act 2022, Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) will be abolished and replaced by Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). Any reference to SEL CCG as the Authority or the Contracting Authority in this procurement should be interpreted as referring to the ICB (or alternative entity as may be applicable) that will take its place in due course when the Bill comes into effect on 1st July 2022.