Update: Community Children’s Health contract

14 Aug 2015 Nadia Tavana
The statement below has been released by the Bristol Clinical Commissioning Group
Following notification from North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) that they will cease provision of the Community Children’s Health Partnership (CCHP) contract from March 2016, Bristol Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) together with our partners, Bristol City Council, South Gloucestershire CCG, South Gloucestershire Council and NHS England has begun the process of securing a new service provider for an interim period.

This is anticipated to cover the period April 2016 to end of March 2017. The planned full re-commissioning of Children’s Community Health Services is continuing as per the original timescale with a view to having a permanent provider in place for April 2017.

As part of the process relating to the interim contract the following two providers have been shortlisted to participate in the next stage: Virgin Care Services and a partnership involving Sirona care & health CIC, Bristol Community Health CIC and Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP) NHS Trust.

As part of the iterative process, the shortlisted bidders will be asked to submit further detailed proposals over the coming weeks. Subject to the successful evaluation of detailed proposals, the commissioners are intending to award an interim contract in autumn 2015.

The interim provider will continue to deliver the current funded services, including:

  • Health visiting
  • School Nursing
  • Community Paediatrics
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Physiotherapy
  • Child and Adolescent mental health
  • Specialist substance misuse services
  • Health services for Looked After Children and young offenders
  • Children’s Continence Service

As commissioners, the safety of the service is of paramount importance to us and we will ensure the service is delivered to the highest possible standards. We would like to reassure children, young people, their families and carers that there are no plans to change the care and support provided during the period of the interim contract.

Sirona Care & Health CIC, Bristol Community Health CIC and Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust have made a joint comment:

“By working in partnership we are keen to make a difference to the lives of children, young people and their families in Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

“Sirona and BCH are both not-for-profit social enterprises, who like AWP, exist to benefit the communities they serve and all three organisations provide NHS funded care. There are no dividends with any surplus reinvested into patient care within their communities.

“Given we are in the middle of a procurement process, it would be inappropriate to add any further comment to the statement issued by the Bristol Clinical Commissioning Group.”

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