Adult Eating Disorder Alternative to Hospital Admission and FREED Service

{
  "id": "052912-2026",
  "tag": [
    "planning"
  ],
  "date": "2026-06-04T15:13:43+01:00",
  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-06adbf",
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-NHS-RV9",
    "name": "HUMBER TEACHING NHS FOUNDATION TRUST"
  },
  "tender": {
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-06adbf",
    "lots": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "status": "planned",
        "description": "Service Specification\nAdult Eating Disorder Alternative to Hospital Admission (AL2A) and FREED Service\nNorth Yorkshire and York (NYY)\n________________________________________\n1. Purpose of the Specification\nThe Humber and North Yorkshire Specialist Mental Health Provider Collaborative (the commissioner), seeks to procure an Adult Eating Disorder Alternative to Hospital Admission (AL2A) service, inclusive of First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders (FREED).\nThe service will provide intensive, time-limited, community-based interventions as an alternative to inpatient admission, and as step-down support following admission, in order to:\n•\tReduce avoidable admissions\n•\tReduce length of inpatient stay\n•\tImprove patient experience and outcomes\n•\tReduce out-of-area placements\n•\tDeliver value for money through invest-to-save approaches\n________________________________________\n2. Service Objectives\nThe Provider shall deliver a service that achieves the following objectives:\n1.\tReduce the number and duration of adult eating disorder inpatient admissions (including out-of-area placements)\n2.\tProvide safe, effective, intensive community-based care for adults at high risk of admission\n3.\tSupport earlier discharge from inpatient care through structured step-down support\n4.\tReduce the need for restrictive interventions, including naso-gastric (NG) feeding\n5.\tImprove equity of access to eating disorder services across North Yorkshire and York\n6.\tDeliver early intervention through the FREED model to prevent illness escalation\n7.\tImprove patient-reported outcomes, experience, and family/carer involvement\n________________________________________\n \n3. Scope of Service\n3.1 Eligible Population\nThe service shall support:\n•\tAdults (18+) with a diagnosed eating disorder\n•\tIndividuals at high risk of admission to an acute or specialist eating disorder inpatient service\n•\tIndividuals requiring step-down or early supported discharge from inpatient care\n•\tIndividuals where intensive community support may prevent deterioration, including risk of NG feeding\n•\tYoung adults aged 18-25 eligible for FREED where commissioned and clinically appropriate\n3.2 Exclusions\n•\tCrisis response or 24/7 home treatment provision\n•\tEmergency medical care (to be delivered via existing acute pathways)\n•\tPeople who do not have a diagnosed eating disorder \n•\tPeople aged under 18\n•\tPeople not registered with a GP within North Yorkshire and York and/or People who do not live within North Yorkshire and York\n________________________________________\n4. Service Model Requirements\n4.1 Core Model\nThe Provider must deliver:\n•\tIntensive, time-limited intervention of up to 12 weeks\n•\tA stepped-care approach supporting both admission avoidance and early discharge\n•\tIntegration within existing community adult eating disorder MDTs\n•\tClose working with inpatient services, acute hospitals, crisis teams, and community mental health teams\n4.2 Geographic Delivery Model\nThe service must operate as two locality-based teams:\n•\tTeam A: Hambleton, Harrogate & Richmondshire\n•\tTeam B: York & Scarborough\nProvision must be flexible to meet rural and urban population needs, including travel, virtual delivery, and outreach.\n________________________________________\n5. Interventions to Be Delivered\nThe Provider shall deliver, as a minimum:\n5.1 AL2A Interventions\n•\tSupported eating (1:1 and group, face-to-face and virtual)\n•\tMeal planning, shopping, cooking, and eating-out support\n•\tDaily living skills development\n•\tFamily and carer coaching and supported meal guidance\n•\tDevelopment of recovery-focused support plans\n•\tExposure-based and skills-based interventions\n•\tSocial inclusion, occupational engagement, and signposting (e.g. employment, education, social prescribing)\n•\tIn-reach to acute hospitals, including daily support when admitted\n•\tContribution to bed management and admission decision-making processes\n5.2 FREED Pathway\nThe Provider shall deliver the FREED model in line with national evidence, including:\n•\tInitial screening contact within 48 hours of referral\n•\tAssessment within 2 weeks\n•\tTreatment commencement within 4 weeks\n•\tHighly coordinated, early-intervention care aimed at reducing duration of untreated illness\n________________________________________\n6. Workforce Requirements\nThe Provider must evidence a workforce model consistent with:\n•\tClearly identified clinical leadership and governance\n•\tCompetence in delivering evidence based interventions for eating disorders, including the assessment and treatment of complex eating disorder presentations with co morbid physical and mental health conditions.\n•\tCapacity to work flexibly across home, community, and virtual settings\n•\tCultural competence to address health inequalities\nIndicative staffing expectations include:\n•\tA Multi-Disciplinary Team with relevant professional registration trained in working with people with a diagnosed eating disorder\n•\tSupport staff trained in eating disorder care\n•\tFREED workers with appropriate specialist experience\n________________________________________\n7. Interfaces and Dependencies\nThe Provider must demonstrate robust arrangements for:\n•\tIntegration with community adult eating disorder teams\n•\tJoint working with inpatient eating disorder services\n•\tParticipation in provider collaborative bed management meetings\n•\tLiaison with acute trusts, crisis services, and community mental health teams\n•\tAlignment with mental health hubs and neighbourhood teams\n________________________________________\n8. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)\n8.1 Activity and Access\nKPI\tMeasure\nAL2A caseload\tNumber of individuals supported per quarter\nTime to AL2A intervention\t≤5 working days from referral\nFREED screening\t≥95% within 48 hours\nFREED assessment\t≥95% within 14 days\nFREED treatment start\t≥90% within 28 days\n8.2 Impact and Outcomes\nKPI\tMeasure\nAdmission avoidance\t% of AL2A episodes avoiding inpatient admission\nLength of stay\tReduction in average inpatient LoS for stepped-down patients\nOOA placements\tReduction compared to baseline year\nNG feeding\tReduction in proportion requiring NG feeding\nReadmission\t30- and 90-day readmission rates\n8.3 Experience and Quality\nKPI\tMeasure\nPatient-reported outcome measures (PROMs)\tImprovement between entry and discharge\nPatient experience\t≥85% positive feedback\nFamily/carer satisfaction\t≥80% positive feedback\nComplaints\tTrend monitored and minimised\n8.4 Equity and Safety\n•\tMonitoring of access and outcomes by geography, age, gender, and deprivation\n•\tIncident reporting and learning\n•\tSafeguarding compliance\n________________________________________\n9. Reporting and Governance\nThe Provider shall:\n•\tSubmit quarterly KPI and quality reports\n•\tParticipate in: \no\tQuality and Contract Review Meetings (quarterly)\no\tQuality Assurance & Improvement Groups (bi-monthly)\no\tRisk register reviews\no\tSix-monthly and annual quality visits\n•\tContribute to collaborative benchmarking and BI datasets\n•\tSupport a formal evaluation against agreed baseline metrics\n________________________________________\n10. Mobilisation Requirements\nThe Provider must submit a mobilisation plan including:\n•\tRecruitment timelines\n•\tWorkforce training strategy\n•\tReferral and pathway readiness\n•\tStakeholder engagement\n•\tGo-live readiness and risk mitigation\n11. Contract Duration\nThe initial contract term will be 18 months with an option for the Commissioner to extend contract up to two further years."
      }
    ],
    "items": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "relatedLot": "1",
        "deliveryLocation": {
          "description": "The service must operate as two locality-based teams:\n•\tTeam A: Hambleton, Harrogate & Richmondshire\n•\tTeam B: York & Scarborough"
        },
        "deliveryAddresses": [
          {
            "region": "UKE"
          }
        ],
        "additionalClassifications": [
          {
            "id": "85323000",
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "description": "Community health services"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "title": "Adult Eating Disorder Alternative to Hospital Admission and FREED Service",
    "value": {
      "amount": 645000,
      "currency": "GBP"
    },
    "status": "planned",
    "coveredBy": [
      "GPA"
    ],
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "32014L0024",
      "scheme": "CELEX"
    },
    "description": "The Humber and North Yorkshire Specialist Mental Health Provider Collaborative (the commissioner), seeks to procure an Adult Eating Disorder Alternative to Hospital Admission (AL2A) service, inclusive of First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders (FREED). The service will provide intensive, time-limited, community-based interventions as an alternative to inpatient admission, and as step-down support following admission, in order to:\n•\tReduce avoidable admissions\n•\tReduce length of inpatient stay\n•\tImprove patient experience and outcomes\n•\tReduce out-of-area placements\n•\tDeliver value for money through invest-to-save approaches",
    "communication": {
      "futureNoticeDate": "2026-06-30T00:00:00+01:00"
    },
    "classification": {
      "id": "85323000",
      "scheme": "CPV",
      "description": "Community health services"
    },
    "mainProcurementCategory": "services"
  },
  "parties": [
    {
      "id": "GB-NHS-RV9",
      "name": "HUMBER TEACHING NHS FOUNDATION TRUST",
      "roles": [
        "buyer"
      ],
      "address": {
        "region": "UKE",
        "locality": "Hull",
        "postalCode": "HU106ED",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "Trust HQ, Willerby Hill, Beverley Road, Willerby"
      },
      "details": {
        "url": "https://www.humber.nhs.uk/",
        "classifications": [
          {
            "id": "BODY_PUBLIC",
            "scheme": "TED_CA_TYPE",
            "description": "Body governed by public law"
          },
          {
            "id": "07",
            "scheme": "COFOG",
            "description": "Health"
          }
        ]
      },
      "identifier": {
        "id": "RV9",
        "scheme": "GB-NHS",
        "legalName": "HUMBER TEACHING NHS FOUNDATION TRUST"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "name": "Phillip Simmons",
        "email": "phillip.simmons@nhs.net",
        "telephone": "+44 1482301700"
      }
    }
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "description": "This is an intended approach notice. The Commissioner intends to award this contract under remit of the Most Suitable Provider (MSP) process of the Provider Selection Regime.  Suppliers who are confident of meeting the requirements of the service specification and want to be taken under consideration should contact Phillip Simmons (phillip.simmons@nhs.net) before 19th June 2026.",
  "initiationType": "tender"
}