Community Intermediate Care Flexi-Beds

NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit, on behalf of Sandwell and West Birmingham CCG, intend to undertake procurement for Community Care Flexible Beds. The procurement’s objectives are to ensure that intermediate care capacity of 20 beds is secured within the West Birmingham geography of Sandwell and West Birmingham CCG to provide co-ordinated, flexible, health and social rehabilitative care to patients aged 18 and over. The care delivered must be provided in the most suitable environment for patients’ needs, to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions, and to relieve pressure from the local acute hospitals. The 20 beds must be located to ensure equity of provision throughout the West Birmingham geography. The service will deliver a new model of care which has been tested over the winter period of 2014/15 via the operation of a pilot from May 2014 which will be on-going until early 2016. Part of the new model differs slightly from traditionally commissioned intermediate care beds in order to be able to provide support to a wider group of patients by incorporating traditionally separate health and social intermediate care within one unit. This model has been proven to reduce delays in the transfer of care, shorten length of stay, and improve patient experience whilst creating flexibility within the community bed system. In addition, this model supports patients’ holistic needs alongside their rehabilitative needs to increase quality of life and keep patients within their normal place of residence for as long as possible through additional community support post discharge. GP cover (delivered or arranged by the provider) will assess all new patients within 72 hours, provide weekly ward rounds, and in-hours primary care cover. Out of hours primary care support will be provided by the CCG commissioned out of hours primary care providers. Requirements will be detailed in the service specification (Contract Particulars) together with eligibility criteria, minimum and maximum length of stay, and use of Care Plans with discharge strategy. The CCG requires one provider to provide 20 beds and deliver the service within one location within the West Birmingham geography of the CCG. This is due to the decommissioning of existing provision within West Birmingham, to ensure equity of intermediate care provision across the CCG geography, and to realise the benefits of economies of scale.