Contingency, Asylum, Refugee and Migrant Service (C.A.R.M.S.) Wrap-around service to provide additional Primary Care capacity, advice and support

Concepts

• health and social work
• bristol
• mental health services
• contingency hotels
• migrant service
• additional primary care capacity
• local acute providers
• asylum seekers
• care
• around

Location

BRISTOL

Description

NOTIFICATION OF INTENTION TO AWARD: NHS Sussex ICB is intending to award a contract to an existing provider following Direct Award Process C of the UK Health Care Services (PSR) Regulations 2023 for Contingency, Asylum, Refugee and Migrant Service (C.A.R.M.S.) Wrap-around service to provide additional Primary Care Capacity, Advice and Support across Sussex. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be submitted to the relevant authority via the project (Atamis reference no. C231812) at: https://healthfamily.force.com/s/Welcome (https://healthfamily.force.com/s/Welcome) by midnight (23:59) on 07/08/24. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR. This direct award is for a maximum period of 12 months. The service value is £1,928,690 per annum. CARMS is a seven-day service with clinical cover between the hours of 8am - 8pm across the whole of Sussex for asylum seekers in contingency hotels commissioned by the Home Office, those with settled status under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) scheme and Ministry of Defence sites for those with settled status under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) Scheme. This is a wraparound service for urgent medical needs whilst liaising with other key stakeholders including general practice, local acute providers, mental health services, community services, voluntary community sector, county councils.

Total Quantity or Scope

NHS Sussex ICB intends to award a contract to an existing provider following Direct Award Process C under the Provider Selection Regime (PSR). The CARMS Service will: Provide clinical cover for the hotels which were stood up as quarantine hotels during the Covid pandemic. Collaborate with NHS Trusts, various voluntary and community groups and GP practices which the asylum seekers in hotels registered with. Responded quickly to the arrival of a significant number of Afghan arrivals with a right to settle in the UK under the ARAP (MOD Operation Lazurite) and ACRS schemes (Pathways 1 and 3) who have been given notice to quit Pakistan or risk deportation back to Afghanistan. Contract start date: 1 April 2024 Contract end date: 31 March 2025 Contract value per annum: £1,928,690 Total contract value (including extension options):£1,928,690

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 85000000 - Health and social work services

Indicators

• Award on basis of price.

Legal Justification

The existing provider has been providing a service in the hotels to Asylum Seekers since October 2021. The original contract was to provide clinical cover for the hotels which were stood up as quarantine hotels during the Covid pandemic. As these hotels were stood down from providing quarantine accommodation, some were repurposed to provide accommodation to asylum seekers. NHS Sussex was then informed with less than four weeks' notice that around 1,000 people on the Afghan Relocations programme accommodated in hotels in London would be transferred to hotels in Crawley. In addition, around 1,000 asylum seekers were also being accommodated in hotels in Crawley. The numbers have increased over the past 16 months with almost 3,000 people on either the Afghan Relocation programme or asylum seekers residing in hotels across Crawley, Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings. The current provider has acquired significant experience and excellent links with NHS Trusts, various voluntary and community groups and GP practices which the asylum seekers in hotels registered with them. In addition, the provider has responded quickly to include the arrival of a significant number of Afghan arrivals with a right to settle in the UK under the ARAP (MOD Operation Lazurite) and ACRS schemes (Pathways 1 and 3) who have been given notice to quit Pakistan or risk deportation back to Afghanistan. It is not conceivable that another provider could step in and continue delivery without significant risk to service delivery and an impact upon local healthcare providers and emergency services. Due to the ongoing need for wraparound support to ensure the impact on secondary care is minimised it is important to maintain continuity of service whilst a comprehensive procurement exercise is undertaken to secure a provider from 1st April 2025 for an anticipated three-year period.

Other Information

This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be made to decision makers by midnight (23:59) on 07/08/24 via the project (Atamis reference number:C292959) at: … This contract has not yet formally been awarded; This notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR. No conflicts of interest were declared. The service evaluation was reviewed against the 5 key criteria: The key criteria were weighted as follows: Quality and innovation (30%), Value (30%), Integration, Collaboration and Service Sustainability (10%), Improving access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choice (20%); Social Value (10%). Quality & Innovation: The criterion reflects the urgent and immediate demand created by the arrival of increasing numbers of small boats and individuals seeking asylum. Sussex ICB is required to continue to deliver these services and an essential period of stability is needed during which time it plans to initiate a new formal procurement and formally Commission a Sussex-wide service from 1st April 2025. Value: The criterion reflects that the current provider was able to demonstrate a 94% A&E admissions avoidance rate. The provider has also been able to identify a pattern of probable modern slavery of women arriving at Airport Inn and are working with experts in this field to try to mitigate this risk and reduce the occurrence. The current service provider ensures that all their practitioners are offered training and can adopt a trauma-based approach to care, working alongside Voluntary Sector Organisations to bridge mental health service gaps, reducing reliance upon Primary Care Practice appointments and crisis A&E attendances. Integration, Collaboration, and Service Sustainability: The criterion reflects that the current service provider has continued to work proactively and collaboratively with participating Primary Care Practices and GP federations to ensure that the healthcare needs of this very vulnerable cohort are being met. Improving Access, Reducing Health Inequalities, and Facilitating Choice: The criterion reflects: • Maximised support to this cohort of patients enabling improved symptom control and condition self-management resulting in reduced use of primary healthcare services. • Reduced the number of inappropriate 999/emergency usage with this cohort of patients. • Established robust pathways into specialist services (e.g. maternity services) Social Value: The criterion reflects that the current provider has significant experience and has excellent links with NHS Trusts, various voluntary and community groups and GP practices which the asylum seekers in hotels registered with. In addition, the provider has responded quickly to include the arrival of a significant number of Afghan arrivals with a right to settle in the UK under the ARAP (MOD Operation Lazurite) and ACRS schemes (Pathways 1 and 3) who have been given notice to quit Pakistan or risk deportation back to Afghanistan. The provider has been able to establish the recruitment of local staff with lived experience. The resulting scores by section and final score were as follows: Quality and Innovation: 24% Value: 24% Integration, Collaboration, and Service Sustainability: 8% Improving Access, Reducing Health Inequalities and facilitating choice: 16% Social Value: 8% Total weighted score: 80%