Tier 3 Weight Management Services

This notice is to inform the market that following publication of the PIN, the Authority has now awarded contracts to TBC Healthcare Ltd, and Sussex Medical Chambers Ltd for up to a period of 22 months.

The contract would start from 1 June 2022.

The COVID pandemic, with the consequent need to focus resource on managing repeated waves and subsequent, ongoing recovery and restoration priorities have caused a delay in re-commissioning Tier 3 Bariatric services across Sussex, which we had intended to undertake during the 20/21 financial year.

We now anticipate undertaking a procurement in the early part of 22/23 and preparation for this is underway.

Tier 3 weight management service provision aims to: • To provide an alternative to surgical intervention • To prepare patients adequately if a surgical intervention is required • To improve health outcomes in severely obese patients • To provide a maintenance plan for patients who are exiting the service To provide a service for patients who meet the referral criteria • To improve health outcomes in severely obese patients • To reduce the health burden of obesity In order to ensure that there is no break in service availability for current patients, many of whom would have only recently commenced lengthy pathways, we intend to renew the current Tier 3 weight management contracts in East Sussex (High Weald Lewes & Havens) and West Sussex CCG (for North West and Mid Sussex) with TBC Healthcare Ltd for 22 months, and in West Sussex CCG (for Coastal West Sussex) with Sussex Medical Chambers Ltd, also for 22 months.

Where these contracts are superseded by contracts arising from the planned procurement, they will be terminated early in accordance with the contractual terms and conditions and in the best interests of patients.

Contract values are as follows: TBC Healthcare Ltd: East Sussex CCG (old HLWH CCG area) = £227,490 West Sussex CCG (for North West and Mid Sussex) = £823,405 Sussex Medical Chambers Ltd: West Sussex CCG (for Coastal West Sussex) = £831,342.

If no expressions of interest are received, the Authority shall enter into a contract with the incumbent providers to ensure continuity of services, relying upon a Regulation 32 exemption of no response/no requests to participate have been submitted in response to this notice.

If you wish to express an interest or should you wish to discuss the content of this PIN further, please make contact by sending a portal message via the project on the Intend e-Tendering portal https://in-tendhost.co.uk/soepscommissioning/ in the first instance by 12pm (midday) on Thursday 21st April 2022.