Prior Information Notice (PIN) for Perinatal Mental Health PNMH Psychology Workforce Development, Health Education England - NHS/SoEPS/18.442 PIN

NHS South of England Procurement Services, acting on behalf of Health Education England (the Commissioner) will be commencing a tender for the delivery of a Perinatal Mental Health PNMH Psychology Workforce Development exercise.

This Prior Information Notice (PIN) is to advise prospective providers of the Commissioners intention.

Health Education England commissioned the development of a comprehensive framework across ten domains of expertise, which sought to explicitly outline all the skills, knowledge and abilities important for healthcare workers to have.

Central to the framework was developing skills in the 'perinatal frame of mind'; a concept whereby everyone coming into contact with a woman of childbearing potential can be mindful that they may have to offer some type of intervention, dependent on their existing knowledge and expertise.

This means that the framework is for use by everyone, not just those in specialist services.

The framework is available to view: https://hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/documents/The%20Competency%20Framework%20July%202018%20-%20Perinatal.pdf HEE is currently working closely with NHS England on the development of the workforce in specialist perinatal mental healthcare, to ensure that multidisciplinary teams are skilled and competent to meet the needs of people who are cared for in both the newly developed Mother and Baby units and specialist perinatal community mental health teams, and in those units increasing their workforce because of expanded capacity.

Whilst there already exist several different training opportunities up and down the country in the field of perinatal mental health (PNMH), including some online e-Learning for Health content accessible by all, there is evidence that this training is not being accessed as comprehensively as possible.

It is therefore a reasonable assumption that geographically fixed academic learning content in the field of perinatal mental health (for instance, learning opportunities that need to be accessed in a taught face to face manner) must be even more difficult to make accessible to all.

Further information and a full Specification will be available once the procurement has been advertised and has been opened for submission of tenders.

The commissioner reserves the right not to proceed with the Procurement, or any part thereof, or change the requirements as necessary at any time.

It is the intention of the commissioner that the procurement will be conducted as on OJEU Service Contract using an LTR Open Procedure under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

The ITT is expected to be published in early September 2018.

A separate advert will be released advising of this, containing all instructions to access the documentation.