NHS Talking Therapies and Psychological Therapies for Severe Mental Health Problems

{
  "id": "053790-2026",
  "tag": [
    "award",
    "contract"
  ],
  "bids": {
    "statistics": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "value": 1,
        "measure": "bids",
        "relatedLot": "1"
      }
    ]
  },
  "date": "2026-06-08T13:39:11+01:00",
  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-06afc1",
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-FTS-182837",
    "name": "NHS Essex Integrated Care Board"
  },
  "awards": [
    {
      "id": "053790-2026-1",
      "status": "active",
      "suppliers": [
        {
          "id": "GB-FTS-118915",
          "name": "Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust"
        }
      ],
      "relatedLots": [
        "1"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "tender": {
    "id": "ACE-0011-2026-ESX",
    "lots": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "status": "cancelled",
        "hasOptions": false,
        "description": "NHS Essex Integrated Care Board (the Authority) is awarding this contract for the provision of NHS Talking Therapies and Psychological Therapies for Severe Mental Health Problems, delivering evidence-based interventions via face-to-face, online, and telephone consultations to support individuals experiencing mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression.\nIn accordance with Regulation 14 of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, the Authority has made an urgent award to the incumbent provider due to an immediate and compelling need to maintain continuity of service, and the inability to complete a competitive process within the required timescales without significant risk.\nThe decision to award to the incumbent provider is justified on the following grounds:\nThe ongoing procurement process has been delayed. Further delay to service provision would create a real and unacceptable risk of interruption to essential mental health services, adversely impacting vulnerable service users. The urgency of need means there is insufficient time to recommence or complete a new selection process without jeopardising patient care.\n•\tTransitioning to a new provider would necessitate a substantial mobilisation period, including workforce onboarding, governance alignment and clinical integration. This cannot be achieved within the necessary timeframe to avoid a service gap, and therefore no alternative provider could deliver the services safely and effectively at the point required.\n•\tThe incumbent provider maintains established therapeutic relationships, care pathways and clinical knowledge of current service users. Disruption to these arrangements would present a significant risk to patient safety, service stability and clinical outcomes, particularly for individuals with complex mental health needs.\n•\tThe current provider has the immediate operational capacity, workforce, infrastructure and clinical expertise to continue delivering the service without interruption. This ensures compliance with the requirement under Regulation 14 to secure services quickly and safely in response to urgency.\n•\tThe urgent award represents a proportionate response to exceptional circumstances, intended only to maintain continuity of provision while the Authority resolves the delayed procurement process and implements a compliant longer-term commissioning solution.\nThe contract will run for a fixed term of 12 months commencing 1st April 2026 and ending 31st March 2027, with no option to extend. This timeframe enables the newly formed NHS Essex Integrated Care Board to complete the ongoing procurement for an Essex-wide service.\nThe total estimated contract value is £5,904,432.00.",
        "awardCriteria": {
          "criteria": [
            {
              "name": "to address immediate risks to safety and quality of care",
              "type": "quality",
              "description": "100"
            },
            {
              "type": "price",
              "description": "100"
            }
          ]
        }
      }
    ],
    "items": [
      {
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        "relatedLot": "1",
        "deliveryLocation": {
          "description": "Southend and Castle Point and Rochford"
        },
        "deliveryAddresses": [
          {
            "region": "UKH3"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "title": "NHS Talking Therapies and Psychological Therapies for Severe Mental Health Problems",
    "status": "complete",
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "32014L0024",
      "scheme": "CELEX"
    },
    "description": "NHS Essex Integrated Care Board (the Authority) is awarding this contract to the incumbent provider under Regulation 14 of the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) 2023 due to urgent circumstances arising from delays to an ongoing procurement process. A direct award is required to avoid a service gap and ensure continuity of essential mental health services. Further detail on the justification for this urgent award is set out in Section II.2.4.",
    "classification": {
      "id": "85323000",
      "scheme": "CPV",
      "description": "Community health services"
    },
    "procurementMethod": "limited",
    "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
    "procurementMethodDetails": "Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition",
    "procurementMethodRationale": "This contract has been awarded without prior publication in accordance with Regulation 14 of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, due to extreme urgency.\nThe urgency arises from delays to an ongoing procurement process, creating a risk of a service gap affecting vulnerable mental health service users. The Authority has determined that it is not possible to complete a competitive process within the required timescales and that no alternative provider could be mobilised safely in time. The award to the incumbent provider ensures continuity of care and mitigates risks to patient safety. Full details of the justification are set out in Section II.2.4.",
    "procurementMethodRationaleClassifications": [
      {
        "id": "D_OUTSIDE_SCOPE",
        "scheme": "TED_PT_AWARD_CONTRACT_WITHOUT_CALL",
        "description": "The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive"
      }
    ]
  },
  "parties": [
    {
      "id": "GB-FTS-182837",
      "name": "NHS Essex Integrated Care Board",
      "roles": [
        "buyer"
      ],
      "address": {
        "region": "UKH3",
        "locality": "Chelmsford , Essex",
        "postalCode": "CM1 1QH",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "Seax House Victoria Road South"
      },
      "details": {
        "url": "https://www.essex.icb.nhs.uk",
        "classifications": [
          {
            "id": "BODY_PUBLIC",
            "scheme": "TED_CA_TYPE",
            "description": "Body governed by public law"
          },
          {
            "id": "07",
            "scheme": "COFOG",
            "description": "Health"
          }
        ]
      },
      "identifier": {
        "id": "D7T5G",
        "legalName": "NHS Essex Integrated Care Board"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "email": "cariad.burgess@attain.co.uk"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "GB-FTS-118915",
      "name": "Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust",
      "roles": [
        "supplier"
      ],
      "address": {
        "region": "UKG",
        "locality": "Wickford",
        "postalCode": "SS11 7XX",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "The Lodge, Lodge Approach, Runwell,"
      },
      "details": {
        "scale": "large"
      },
      "identifier": {
        "legalName": "Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "GB-FTS-182665",
      "name": "The Independent Patient Choice and Procurement Panel",
      "roles": [
        "reviewBody"
      ],
      "address": {
        "locality": "Leeds",
        "postalCode": "LS1 4AP",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "NHS England, 7 and 8 Wellington Place"
      },
      "identifier": {
        "legalName": "The Independent Patient Choice and Procurement Panel"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "GB-FTS-182730",
      "name": "NHS Essex Integrated Care Board",
      "roles": [
        "mediationBody"
      ],
      "address": {
        "locality": "Chelmsford , Essex",
        "postalCode": "CM1 1QH",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "Seax House, Victoria Road South"
      },
      "identifier": {
        "legalName": "NHS Essex Integrated Care Board"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "GB-FTS-182731",
      "name": "NHS Essex Integrated Care Board",
      "roles": [
        "reviewContactPoint"
      ],
      "address": {
        "locality": "Chelmsford , Essex",
        "postalCode": "CM1 1QH",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "Seax House Victoria Road South"
      },
      "identifier": {
        "legalName": "NHS Essex Integrated Care Board"
      }
    }
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "contracts": [
    {
      "id": "053790-2026-1",
      "value": {
        "amount": 5904432,
        "currency": "GBP"
      },
      "status": "active",
      "awardID": "053790-2026-1",
      "dateSigned": "2026-02-09T00:00:00Z"
    }
  ],
  "description": "This contract has been awarded under the urgent circumstances provision of the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) 2023 (Regulation 14).\nThe provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and Procurement Act 2023 do not apply to this award.\nThis notice has been published within 30 days of contract signature.\nDetails of the justification for the urgent award are provided in Section II.2.4.\n\n        \nDetails of Decision Makers:\nEssex Joint Committee, 22 January 2026\nFinance and Performance meeting, 9 January 2026 - Virtual Approval\nFinance and Performance meeting, 6 Jan 2026\nICB Proposed Essex Executive Committee, 2 December 2025\nThe Authority has undertaken an appropriate and proportionate review of declarations and is satisfied that effective arrangements are in place to identify and manage any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest. Where relevant, mitigation measures have been applied to ensure that no conflict is capable of conferring any undue advantage or disadvantage. On this basis, the Authority is satisfied that no conflict of interest has adversely affected, or is capable of adversely affecting, the integrity of the procurement.",
  "initiationType": "tender"
}