Provision of Section 12 Approved Doctor Services for NHS Lincolnshire

About

NHS Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support Unit awarded a contract to Not awarded for a long-term, sustainable Section 12 Community Mental Health Assessment support service to meet the needs of Lincolnshire.

The service required the chosen provider to deliver a 24-hour rota managed service to appoint Section 12(2) doctors who are also full members of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and/or on the GMC Specialist Register as a specialist in psychiatry.

The service worked in conjunction with Lincolnshire AMHP service, which is currently commissioned by Lincolnshire County Council, and provided a 24-hour responsive service across Lincolnshire.

To enable assessments to take place, a medical doctor who is Section 12 approved was required to participate in the assessment and where appropriate to complete a recommendation under the Act for detention.

The Policing and Crime Act 2017 provides for other places to be designated as places of safety for these purposes, which might include local A and E departments or other suitable places for assessment.

This tender therefore applied to all assessments requested at all current and future designated places of safety under Sections 136 and 135 of the Act.

The contract was for a period of 3 years with the option to extend for a further 2 years subject to satisfactory performance.

The four CCGs combined from 1st April 2020 to form NHS Lincolnshire CCG, which became the contracting authority post 1st April.

The contract value was £966,000.