Mental Health Core Services (TT PT SMHP) for NHS Mid and South Essex ICB

This is an Intended Approach Notice to award a contract using the Most Suitable Provider (MSP) Process. The Contracting Authority is seeking to satisfy its statutory duty to ensure service provision for the patient population of Mid and South Essex, whilst also reflecting the need for efficiencies and aligning the Service with the ICB’s strategic objectives and purposes to:

• Improving the health of our population, by ensuring improved patient outcomes with a focus on quality of delivery across the ICS Ensure patients have equitable offer across the board, while encouraging partnership working amongst organisations across the system.
• Enhance productivity and value for money, by reducing administration time, duplication, and overall management costs.

The proposed intention of approach (MSP) under PSR will be a flexible and bespoke ‘Structured Dialogue’, which is intended to not be competitive in nature. This approach is designed to establish an Alliance, via creation of a framework of governance within which the ICB and any interested providers of the Mental Health Core Services may come together over a defined period in two-way dialogue, to both support the design of the ICBs Service Specification (“the Specification”), as well as identify a collaborative solution to such Specification. A Structured Dialogue enables the ICB and suitable, technically capable providers within the market to bring together their knowledge and expertise to develop solutions to deliver specific outcomes. The aim of this iterative two-way dialogue is to allow for greater co-production, scrutiny, and commitment.

The Service: NHS Talking Therapies

NHS Talking Therapies services provide support for adults with depression and anxiety disorders that can be managed effectively in a uni-professional context. NICE-recommended therapies are delivered by a single competent clinician, with or without concurrent pharmacological treatment, which is typically managed by the GP.

Core IAPT services provide treatment for people with the following common mental health problems: Agoraphobia, Body dysmorphic disorder, Depression, Generalised anxiety disorder,  Health anxiety (hypochondriasis), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Panic disorder, PTSD, Social anxiety disorder, Specific phobias (such as heights or small animals, Psychosexual, and others as per local and identified need.

NHS Talking Therapies will also offer the provision of psychological interventions and support for:

Adults living with Long Term Conditions (LTC). Young people over 18 newly diagnosed with an LTC. The service will also deliver health coaching for NHS resources involved in the care of people living with LTCs.

The service will target service users with the following LTCs:

COPD and Respiratory Services, Diabetes, Stroke, Chronic Muscular Skeletal, Cancer, Cardiovascular disease, Chronic pain, and others as per local and identified need.

The Service: Psychological Therapies for SMHP (PT- SMHP)

There has been a gap for psychological therapies for people with more complex needs who present in Primary Care, particularly those presenting with Personality Disorders and those with persistent psychological symptoms for whom NHS Talking Therapies are not able to best meet their needs.

Severe Mental Health Problems (SMHP) include psychosis, bipolar disorder, 'personality disorder’ and eating disorders. An integrated offer is required as part of the wider psychological model to support these individuals.

The PT-SMHP will be commissioned to support the Integrated Primary Care Community Services MH (please refer to MHPs in PCN Service Spec) transformation plan by providing psychological therapies to treat the ‘missing middle’, including those on psychiatry wait lists/outpatient caseloads who have personality disorder traits or diagnosis and exceed Talking Therapies thresholds; do not require specialised secondary care MDT provision; require psychiatric medical care. Additional information: This is an Intended Approach Notice to award a contract using the Most Suitable Provider (MSP) Process to this cohort of existing providers of the Service, as a collective, for NHS MSE ICB.