Adult Eating Disorder Beds for the East Midlands

The East Midlands currently has one 15 bedded inpatient unit that caters for adults requiring an inpatient admission for Eating Disorders which is Langley Ward at The Bennion Centre, Glenfield Hospital in Leicester. This is not enough capacity to meet the needs of local patients.

There has been an increase in Adult Eating Disorder admissions from an average of 20 in years 18-19 to 25 in years19-20 to 30 at month 7 in years 2020-21. Any inpatient beds required over and above 15 beds are currently commissioned out of area. This can mean some patients are placed at a considerable distance from home and leads to delays in admission and longer lengths of stay. The current arrangements present difficulties for patients considered to be complex/those with co-morbidities.

The objectives of this procurement exercise were as follows:

• Reduced waiting times to access suitable inpatient provision
• Admission closer to home
• Improved admission and discharge planning
• Improved patient experience
• Reduced rates of transfer to medical wards during inpatient stays as shorter waiting times will reduce risks of patients becoming medically unstable
• Reduced clinical time spent on seeking beds
• Particular focus on improved access, experience and outcomes for patients requiring treatment for an eating disorder who are considered complex.

Eating disorder inpatient care in the East Midlands is commissioned by a Provider Collaborative from the 1st April 2021. The Lead Provider for the eating disorder Provider Collaborative is Leicestershire NHS Partnership Trust. The contract that would have been awarded as a result of this procurement process would therefore have been a sub-contract to the Leicestershire Partnership Trust, Lead Provider contract.

The following vision was created by the East Midlands Eating Disorder Provider Collaborative:

“To put service users at the centre of what we do, and provide high quality, locally accessible services across the East Midlands that have seamless connections to inpatient care”.

This agreement would have coincided with the current contract term for the Lead Provider for the Adult Eating Disorders Provider Collaborative. The successful Bidder(s) would have been issued a contract as a result of this procurement as a sub-contract to the Lead Provider Collaborative contract held by Leicestershire NHS Partnership Trust with NHSE/I.

As part of the above contract, the sub-contracted provider would have been required to enter into a Partnership Agreement.