PRJ866 - Dental Services for Heathrow Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs)

Descriptions

NHS England (London) would like to invite interested bidders to express an interest in providing Dental Services at Heathrow IRCs (IRC Colnbrook and IRC Harmondsworth). NHS England London is responsible for commissioning dental services (alongside a range of other primary care, public health and mental health services) within prisons. This is an urgent requirement for a new service to commence on 01 October 2019, The Heathrow IRCs are large immigration removal centres located to the north of Heathrow Airport operating across two sites, Colnbrook and Harmondsworth. NHS England took on commissioning responsibility for healthcare within the IRCs in 2013 following the changes introduced in the 2012 Act. The main healthcare service at the IRCs is provided by Central North West London NHS Foundation Trust. Custodial provision is commissioned by the Home Office and operationally delivered by Mitie Care and Custody. The Heathrow IRCs are the largest in the country. IRC Harmondsworth has an operational capacity of approximately 732 male detainees. IRC Colnbrook has an operational capacity of approximately 312 male detainees and 27 female detainees within the Sahara Unit (the Sahara Unit is meant to act as only a short-term location for female detainees, 5-7 days, with women needing to be detained longer being transferred to IRC Yarlswood). Between the two Heathrow IRCs there are typically c.1000 receptions each month and a similar number of discharges - in effect the whole population of the IRC completely changes 10-12 times each year. By comparison HMP Pentonville a local prison with maximum occupancy of 1310 (and a high number of remand prisoners and therefore a high turnover) completely changes its population four times a year. More recently both IRCs have been populated well below their occupational capacity as changes to immigration policy have reduced the number of people in detention. The rate of turnover within the IRC has remained consistent however with an average length of stay within the IRC of between 20 and 28 days. However, a significant minority of detainees stay for much longer periods within detention. The current service provider will reach the end of their current contract term on 30/09/2019 and has decided not to take up a possible extension. NHS England (London) is therefore seeking to appoint a provider for an interim service to start on 01/10/2019 ahead of a large-scale procurement of dental services with a new long term contract planned to start on 01 April 2021. The interim service will provide the full IRC dental specification for eighteen (18) months from the 01 October 2019 until 31 March 2021. There is a possible extension being proposed of six (6) months (a possible extension until 30 September 2021). The tender can be accessed at the following link: https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=d24f4847-87b7-e911-80f8-005056b64545