NHS England Health and Justice South West - Women's Health and Wellbeing Hub in HMP Eastwood Park.

Descriptions

This notice is placed as a Prior Information Notice (PIN) to seek expressions of interest from organisations who may wish to deliver services for a new Women's Health and Wellbeing Hub in HMP Eastwood Park on behalf of NHS England Health and Justice South West (the commissioner). Women in prison have disproportionately higher levels of health and social care needs than their male counterparts in prison and women in the general population. They often experience barriers to consistently accessing the health and social care services they need in a timely manner. Funding has been allocated to enable NHS England Health and Justice Commissioners to establish Women's Health and Wellbeing Hubs within prisons across England. Women's Health and Wellbeing Hubs (referred to as "hubs" for the purposes of this notice) are designed to work at the interface between primary and secondary care. They provide services that may be more specialised than what is typically available in primary care settings, for health issues which do not necessarily need a referral to secondary care. Hubs are not a replacement for primary care, secondary care, or specialist services. They should not duplicate existing services and should be tailored to meet local population needs. The overall purpose of the hub will be to facilitate access to a wide range of services, including preventative healthcare and early intervention, with the goal of improving health outcomes and reducing inequalities. The structure, environment and delivery of services will be underpinned by a trauma-informed approach. There will be an emphasis on improving on-site service provision, in recognition of the emotional impact and stress associated with attending appointments off-site under escort, as well as the additional demand off-site appointments place on staffing capacity. HMP Eastwood Park's hub will be expected to serve two main functions. The first is to provide access to a range of core healthcare services as specified in the national commissioning guidance (required services listed below). The second is to provide a single point of contact to facilitate multiple, integrated and opportunistic service delivery. The hub should provide signposting/clear referral pathways, and deliver health education and health promotion activities to ensure women are empowered to maintain their health and wellbeing. Wellbeing advice and support, for example advice on sleep hygiene, mindfulness, stress management and nutrition, should be provided alongside delivery of clinical interventions. Interested providers are invited to complete a short questionnaire as part of an information gathering exercise by the commissioner to guide their strategic direction, informed by national commissioning guidance. It is anticipated that a contract will commence in late spring / summer 2025 and expire on 30th September 2029. The estimated contract value is £150,000 per annum.