Purpose

This report recommends acceptance of tender
bids from seven organisations, and the consequent award of a place on the Cheshire
& Merseyside Inpatient Detoxification (IPD) Consortium
Framework, for the delivery of inpatient detoxification (IPD)
treatment placements for all nine local authorities across
Cheshire & Merseyside.
 
The Framework has been procured following an
NHS Provider Selection Regime (PSR) process. It is proposed that it
will run for a period of up to 4 years from November 2025 until
October 2029, with a
maximum estimated contract value of £7,940,535.
 
Placement activity on the
framework is demand led, with IPD placements determined/awarded by
the placing local authority community service, using criteria that
identifies the IPD provider that best meets each service
user’s needs. The awards under this framework will be in the
form of either:
· 
Direct Award’, made directly to the selected IPD provider,
where the IPD provider is deemed to meet the following
criteria:
1. 
Clinical suitability and intensity of support
2. 
Bed availability and waiting times
3. 
Geographical accessibility
4. 
Patient Choice
5. 
Price / value for money
6. 
Any other reason or factor that the authority determines as
relevant.
· 
‘Mini Competition’, where there is an urgency in making
the placement and all IPD providers are asked for their best offer
that meets the following criteria and the service user and
referring team will decide the offer that best suits their
need.
1. 
Bed availability and waiting times
2. 
Clinical suitability and intensity of support
3. 
Geographical accessibility
4. 
Patient Choice
5. 
Price / value for money
6. 
Any other reason or factor that the authority determines as
relevant.
 
There is no guarantee of work,
and therefore payment, for IPD providers through the framework as
the annual budget is dependent upon both the continued award of the
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Inpatient
Detoxification Grant, and also on any additional funding added from
local authority core local funding streams to provide them with an
increased capacity to make placements using this consortium
pathway. Not all local authorities will choose to make use of this
option. The estimated annual framework value ranges
between:
 

£1,076,534,
financial year 1, increasing through to a maximum of
£2,352,667,
financial year 4.

 
The recommendations enable additional
investment in the core drug and alcohol treatment and recovery
systems of all the Cheshire & Merseyside local authorities.
 
The availability and utilisation of this
funding is improving the quality and capacity of the drug and
alcohol treatment services and is delivering improvements in the
wider system. Access to a detoxification provision,
inclusive of a therapeutic day programme and medically managed
detoxification regimes, is an integral part of Cheshire &
Merseyside’s recovery focussed and evidence-based addiction
services and the treatment systems they operate within. An integral
element of these services is the capability to procure access to
medically managed inpatient detoxification provision that enables
service users to be treated in a suitable clinical and therapeutic
environment, that is able to meet their
diverse and complex needs.

Decision

The Director of Public Health has
agreed to: 
 

Endorse the procurement process that has been carried out in
accordance with the NHS Provider Selection Regime as outlined in the
accompanying report; and .

 

Approve the award of a place on the Cheshire and Merseyside
Consortium’s Inpatient Detoxification Framework to the
following providers to deliver inpatient detoxification treatment
placements across all nine local authorities in Cheshire and
Merseyside on a 4 year framework 
commencing  from 1 November 2025 until
31st October 2029 with a maximum estimated contract value of
£7,940,535.:

Adferiad Recovery Limited  (2
facilities);
Broadway Lodge Limited;
Druglink ;
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Trust;
Kaleidoscope Project;
Mersey
Care NHS Trust;
Turning Point (Services) Limited

Reasons for the decision

A compliant
competitive process was required because the IPD Consortium wished
to put in place a framework arrangement that meets the requirement
whereby multiple service providers operate and can be accessed
through a framework. The advice provided identified that, this was
the most appropriate legal option.
 
The tenders received
from bidders have been formally evaluated by a panel made up of
commissioners, community service placement managers and experienced
pathway administrators.  All bidders
have met the key selection criteria and have been found to be
appropriately qualified to meet the service specification for
medically managed inpatient detoxification.
 
Wirral  Borough Council
is part of the Cheshire & Merseyside Consortium and fulfils the
central coordinating role and as such has the responsibility to
ensure that providers appointed to supply medically managed
inpatient detoxification services on behalf of the Cheshire &
Merseyside IPD Consortium meet the specified requirements, provide
a safe service, and offer value for money.
 

Alternative options considered

There
were three NHS PSR procurement options available to select
providers. These were:
· 
Direct award process;
· 
Most suitable provider process; and
· 
Competitive process.
 
It was determined that
a competitive process was the most appropriate procurement and
legal option because of IPD Consortium’s decision to adopt a
framework agreement.