Unscheduled/Urgent Dental Care (UDC) to NHS Sussex ICB

Location

Lewes

Description

This is an intention to award notice. Urgent dental care necessitates the need for simple, rapid access to a dental professional within and outside of normal working hours. Details are set out in the Clinical Standard for Urgent Dental Care (V2) dated 10 January 2023. It states that the difference between emergency, urgent and non-urgent dental need is key as the time in which care should be provided differs between each category. Urgent dental care is defined as one that requires urgent attention but is not a life-threatening situation. It further states urgent dental care is the triage and management of these conditions either within or outside of normal working hours. NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board (ICB) intends to award contracts to 3 existing providers following Direct Award Process C of the UK Health Care Services (PSR) Regulations 2023 for UDC services in the Sussex area. 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. The terms of the existing UDC contracts are due to expire on 31st March 2026 and NHS Sussex ICB have proposed that new UDC contracts should replace the existing contracts at the end of their term. All requirements outlined in Regulation 6(5) of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 have been met, including that the considerable change threshold has not been met, and therefore Direct Award Process C has been determined as the appropriate provider selection process. After conducting assessments of the existing providers, taking into account the key criteria and applying the basic selection criteria, NHS Sussex ICB is content that the existing providers are satisfying the original contracts and will likely satisfy the proposed contracts to a sufficient standard. The awarded contracts will each be for a term of up to 18 months and are due to commence from 1st April 2026, terminating 30th September 2027. The total maximum contract value of these contracts is £3,983,020. There are 3 contracts being awarded to 3 providers as follows:- 1. UDC for Brighton & Hove - iDental Care Limited 2. UDC for West Sussex - Sussex Community Foundation Trust (SCFT) 3. UDC for East Sussex - East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (ESHT)

Lot Division

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 85131000 - Dental-practice services
• 85130000 - Dental practice and related services

Indicators

• Award on basis of price.

Legal Justification

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 the relevant authority by 5th February 2026. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.

Other Information

Assessment of the existing providers took into account the key criteria, which were weighted as follows:- • Quality and innovation (25%) • Value (25%) • Integration, collaboration and service sustainability (20%) • Improving access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choice (20%) • Social value (10%) Quality and innovation (25%): The commissioned service must be of high quality and performing to expectation. They must demonstrate a commitment to continuous quality improvement and willingness to innovate. Value (25%): The service must be delivering, or be on track to deliver, an optimal combination of benefits to individuals (patients and workforce), population health outcomes and taxpayers. It must add value across the integrated care system. Integration, collaboration and service sustainability (20%): The service must operate in a manner which maximises opportunities for integration and collaboration across the ICB area and wider context, across organisational and geographical boundaries. This must be balanced by due consideration of the financial sustainability and stability of the service and its operating model. Improving access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choice (20%): Enhancing patient access and addressing health inequalities and unwarranted variation are priority areas aligned to local population priorities and national ambitions. Promoting patient choice is integral to service delivery. Social value (10%): The service will contribute to promoting broader impact (to social, economic and environmental wellbeing). It will provide community benefits beyond core service delivery, supporting social cohesion and inclusion. Weighted scores were given to each area to arrive at a total weighted score for each provider. The requirement was that i) the minimum weighted score should be 51, and; ii) no criteria should score 1 (inadequate). All 3 providers exceeded the minimum weighted score threshold, with no inadequate scores. The ICB therefore judged the existing providers to be Assured across all five key criteria. This outcome reflects a consistent level of performance, strategic alignment with NHS priorities, and capacity to deliver sustainable, inclusive, and socially valuable dental services. The providers are considered suitable for continued commissioning under the proposed contract. Award decisions have been authorised by the Chief Integration and Primary Care Officer, NHS Sussex ICB. No conflicts of interest (COI) were declared as part of this award process. COI are managed via a combination of the NHS Sussex ICB COI policy and the NHS England South East Commissioning Hub (Workstream 2) COI process. 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 and The Procurement Act 2023 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 5th February 2026. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR. Written representations should be sent to scwcsu.procurement@nhs.net