The St Thomas’ Centre for Living Well (Market Engagement)

Stockport Council Adult Social Care is embarking on an exciting and ambitious development bringing the former St Thomas’ hospital site back to life and transforming the way that we promote independence and provide the best possible outcomes for people.

The St Thomas’ Centre for Living Well will be a new Intermediate Care facility that pushes the boundaries of design and innovation to create Households of modern home-like accommodation where people are able to regain their independence. It will be located alongside a new residential community developed on a site steeped in rich heritage, with refurbished listed buildings and new homes built to the highest levels of sustainability creating an affordable place to live that will attract a truly inter-generational community with all the benefits of Town Centre living. It is due to open in Spring 2027.

The Centre of Living Well will provide locally based, high impact services with a focus on:

• Step-up intermediate care to help prevent avoidable hospital admissions.
• Step-down intermediate care to support timely discharge from hospital and recovery before returning home.
• Person-centred intermediate care for people with complex care needs, including people living with early onset dementia.
• Rehabilitation and reablement to rebuild confidence, regain daily living skills and maximise independence.
• Promoting wellbeing and community connections to support people to live well and remain independent.

The household model of care will underpin the Centre’s reablement offer, enabling people to rebuild confidence and daily living skills through everyday activities and routines in a home-like setting, with support tailored to their goals for independence.

It is our ambition for the Centre to be a Beacon of Excellence for intermediate care and we aim to achieve considerable outcomes for the people of Stockport as part of our Live Well strategy, as well as greater efficiencies, and market sustainability. We can achieve this ambition by working together with health and care partners across Stockport to provide the best intermediate care within one location, with both clinical and reablement expertise available onsite and with access to the facility from both the community and from hospital.

Following the first procurement exercise for the future operator of St Thomas’, the Council is undertaking further market engagement to inform a second procurement exercise. We welcome input from interested Residential and Nursing Care Providers, including those who did not participate in the first exercise, on the proposed service specification, operating arrangements and deliverability of the opportunity. This engagement will help the Council understand provider feedback and identify where further clarification or refinement may be needed ahead of the second procurement exercise and explain what has changed as a result of the first exercise.

The Council proposes to hold a further market engagement workshop on Thursday 12 November 2026, from 12 noon to 1.30pm, via Microsoft Teams. The workshop will provide an opportunity to discuss the proposed approach to the second procurement exercise and seek provider views on important aspects of the service specification and delivery arrangements, including:

• An overview of St Thomas’ Centre for Living Well, its purpose and the outcomes it aims to achieve.
• The proposed operating model, including the expectations of and responsibilities for a future operator.
• The proposed timeline for the second procurement exercise, the key stages and what participation will involve.
• The key changes to the proposals and procurement approach since the first procurement exercise.
• An open discussion to hear views on the proposals, explore questions and gather feedback from interested providers.

If you are interested in attending this workshop to help inform the second procurement exercise, please contact Michelle Moseley, Programme Manager, email: [email protected] to register your interest and receive confirmation of the event arrangements.