Discharge to Assess Community Beds

Location

Orchard Grove, Bristol

Description

NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board have awarded a time limited contract for the provision of 8 P2 Pathway Discharge to Assess Beds to Brunelcare Ltd under urgent circumstances. These beds will be delivered at Orchard Grove operated by Brunelcare Ltd. The system is facing an immediate and unplanned capacity shortfall from April 2026 and creates a direct and imminent risk to patient safety and system flow, which could not reasonably have been fully mitigated through earlier procurement action given the reliance on transformation programmes that were, at the time, expected to reduce demand within the existing contracted capacity. Pathway 2 (P2) beds form part of the Discharge to Assess (D2A) model and are intended for individuals who are medically optimised for discharge from acute hospital settings but require a short period of ongoing recovery, rehabilitation, and/or assessment prior to returning home or moving to a more appropriate long-term care setting. P2 beds are typically provided within community-based rehabilitation units, step-down facilities, or care home environments and focus on enabling individuals to regain independence, reduce care needs where possible, and support safe discharge through multidisciplinary input, including therapy and clinical oversight where required. The service is VAT‑exempt, and all contract values stated are excluding VAT

Total Quantity or Scope

NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board have awarded a time limited contract in accordance with Regulation 14 of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 for the provision of 8 P2 Pathway Discharge to Assess Beds to Brunelcare Ltd under urgent circumstances. These beds will be delivered at Orchard Grove operated by Brunelcare Ltd. … The total lifetime value of the contract will be a maximum of £727,619.03 The contract value stated is exclusive of VAT. The services being procured constitute VAT-exempt welfare services provided by a registered care home The contract term will commence 01 April 2026 for up to a maximum period of 12 months ending 31 March 2027. From 01 April 2026, NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board and NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board will operate under a clustered model, comprising shared leadership and functions; however, each Integrated Care Board will remain a separate statutory organisation with its own legal responsibilities. This arrangement is relevant to the future commissioning approach but does not alter the accountability for this contract award. This notice has been published by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioners.

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 85144100 - Residential nursing care services

Indicators

• Award on basis of price.

Legal Justification

The contract has been awarded without prior publication due to extreme urgency brought about by events that were not reasonably foreseeable by NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board. The immediate requirement to secure additional Discharge to Assess Pathway 2 capacity to support hospital discharge and patient safety could not be met within the timescales of a competitive process. NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board has therefore relied on the urgent award provisions under Regulation 14 of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) confirmation of contract award notice. This contract has been awarded under 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.

Other Information

NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board consider this to be an urgent situation in accordance with Regulation 14 of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, as the requirement to secure additional Pathway 2 capacity has arisen from an immediate and unforeseen system pressure. The timescales required to undertake a full provider selection process would not have enabled sufficient capacity to be mobilised in advance of the identified risk period, thereby creating a material risk to patient safety, hospital flow, and system resilience. The contract length will be a maximum of 12 months from 01 April 2026. The decision to award the contract was made by NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board's Interim Deputy Chief Executive in line with the ICB's Standing Financial Instructions. No conflicts or potential conflicts of interest were declared. NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board has processes in place to identify and manage conflicts in accordance with its governance framework. This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) confirmation of contract award notice. This contract has been awarded under 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.