Primary Care Mental Health Service

Ipswich and East Suffolk and West Suffolk CCGs are working with Suffolk County Council to commission a primary care mental health service, to start in July 2016. This service will provide evidence based interventions for people with common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

This new service will follow on from the Suffolk Wellbeing Service. The existing service is already an IAPT+ model with a strong focus on promoting wellbeing and has a strong and positive relationship with a range of third sector providers. Commissioners want to build on the solid foundation of the current service to develop a stepped care primary care mental health service whose core offer ensures that it meets NICE requirements and exceeds national IAPT targets. The service will provide evidence based interventions for those with mental health problems and with early symptoms and offer targeted support to address risk factors.

The local vision is a service that:

•Provides an all age pathway and has a strong family based approach

•Exceeds national IAPT targets

•Delivers evidence based interventions (including NICE guidance)

•Offers integrated physical and mental health pathways for people with long term conditions

•Removes the gaps between primary and secondary care, enabling people to step down from secondary care earlier and reduce demand for referral to secondary care

•Promotes recovery and community participation

•Uses an education based approach to delivery.

•Is as accessible as general primary care, offering open access and local services

•Works in partnership with a wide range of local services and resources that promote wellbeing

•Provides training and development of the wider workforce in understanding mental health and offering early support to promote emotional wellbeing

•Provides information and guidance using a range of communication methods.

The Primary Care Mental Health Service Contract will be for a period of five years with the potential for an extension of a further two year period; with an indicative value of £8,000,000 and £10,000,000 per annum; this indicative figure will be clarified further at the Invitation to Tender stage.

The Services to which this contract notice relate, fall within schedule 3 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (the "Regulations"), referred to as the ‘light touch regime’. Neither the inclusion of a Bidder Selection Stage nor the use of the term Invitation to Tender or Competitive Dialogue nor any other indication shall be taken to mean that the CCG intends to hold itself bound by any of the Regulations save those applicable to schedule 3 Services.

The CCGs are utilising an electronic tendering system to manage this procurement and all communication regarding tenders.

Please go to the following website to register and take part in this tender opportunity.

https://in-tendhost.co.uk/westsuffolkcommissioning/aspx/Home