Essex Neurological Rehabilitation (Level 2b) inpatient service located at Brentwood Community Hospital and an out-reach support to patients.

The Contracting Authorities wish to proceed with a procurement to establish a Level 2b neuro rehabilitation service with an inpatient service located at Brentwood Community Hospital and an out-reach service to support patients whose care needs cannot be met at Brentwood Community Hospital.

For the purposes of this procurement the service being sought is for Level 2b patients only. This procurement is not seeking a service for those patients requiring long-term complex disability management; or those with palliative or end-of-life care needs.

The procurement is seeking two specific services from the same provider: an outreach service and an inpatient service.

Outreach service:

The successful bidder will offer an Essex Neurology Services Outreach Team as described in the service specification found within the Data Room on BRAVO who will accept referrals for adults (aged 18 or over) who have neurological impairments.

The service will provide specialist interdisciplinary rehabilitation for patients to achieve their functional goals, it will be typically focused around community reintegration and return to meaningful activity and life roles, including vocational rehabilitation.

Referrals will be considered for patients whose rehabilitation goals cannot be met by local commissioned services: i.e. where the rehabilitation goals are of a level of complexity or require a specialist neuropsychological rehabilitation approach that cannot be provided by other locally commissioned services.

Individuals accessing the service must reside in the Essex area, covered by the seven Essex CCGs funding the service (Basildon and Brentwood, Castlepoint and Rochford, Mid Essex, North East Essex, Southend, Thurrock, West) and must have recourse to public funds.

Referrals will be considered at any stage post neurological injury, the referral should be via the Essex CCGs’ Neuro-navigator function. Referrals will be considered from a range of settings, including inpatient settings and from the community. Referrals from inpatient settings should be made as part of the patients discharge planning by any member of the MDT (where they meet the service criteria). Self-referrals from patients or their families and carer may also be considered.

Inpatient service:

The successful bidder will offer inpatient services as described fully in the service specification found within the Data Room on BRAVO. The inpatient service must be delivered from Brentwood Community Hospital, Crescent Drive, Brentwood CM15 8DR.

Referrals will be considered at any stage post neurological injury, the referral should be via the Essex CCGs’ Neuro-navigator function.

The inpatient service is expected to manage all but the most complex Level 2b patients. Patients with a tracheostomy or who require enteral feeding are considered suitable for this inpatient unit at Brentwood Community Hospital and will be expected to be managed within the inpatient service by the successful bidder. Patients not suitable for the facilities at Brentwood Community Hospital include for example those with especially complex and challenging behaviour.

Where the successful bidder believes that they cannot safely treat a patient at Brentwood Community Hospital, or as part of their community outreach service, they must liaise with the Neuro Navigator service at the earliest opportunity to agree the best approach for managing the patient’s care/needs to achieve their outcomes. This may require the rehabilitation package to be spot purchased from a suitable provider. Spot purchased arrangements will be the responsibility of the relevant commissioner and all billing will be between the chosen provider and the relevant commissioner with the Navigator service continuing to manage the patient’s overall journey.

Brentwood Community Hospital is a Private Financial Initiative (PFI) built in 2008. The hospital has a total floor space of 7 500 m2 and comprises:

— 2 x 25 bedded wards,

— day unit,

— outpatient Dep.