NHS Essex Integrated Care Board (the Authority) is awarding this contract to the incumbent provider under Regulation 14 of the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) 2023 due to urgent circumstances arising from delays to an ongoing procurement process. A direct award is required to avoid a service gap and ensure continuity of essential mental health services. Further detail on the justification for this urgent award is set out in Section II.2.4.

NHS Essex Integrated Care Board (the Authority) is awarding this contract for the provision of NHS Talking Therapies and Psychological Therapies for Severe Mental Health Problems, delivering evidence-based interventions via face-to-face, online, and telephone consultations to support individuals experiencing mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression. In accordance with Regulation 14 of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, the Authority has made an urgent award to the incumbent provider due to an immediate and compelling need to maintain continuity of service, and the inability to complete a competitive process within the required timescales without significant risk. The decision to award to the incumbent provider is justified on the following grounds: The ongoing procurement process has been delayed. Further delay to service provision would create a real and unacceptable risk of interruption to essential mental health services, adversely impacting vulnerable service users. The urgency of need means there is insufficient time to recommence or complete a new selection process without jeopardising patient care. • Transitioning to a new provider would necessitate a substantial mobilisation period, including workforce onboarding, governance alignment and clinical integration. This cannot be achieved within the necessary timeframe to avoid a service gap, and therefore no alternative provider could deliver the services safely and effectively at the point required. • The incumbent provider maintains established therapeutic relationships, care pathways and clinical knowledge of current service users. Disruption to these arrangements would present a significant risk to patient safety, service stability and clinical outcomes, particularly for individuals with complex mental health needs. • The current provider has the immediate operational capacity, workforce, infrastructure and clinical expertise to continue delivering the service without interruption. This ensures compliance with the requirement under Regulation 14 to secure services quickly and safely in response to urgency. • The urgent award represents a proportionate response to exceptional circumstances, intended only to maintain continuity of provision while the Authority resolves the delayed procurement process and implements a compliant longer-term commissioning solution. The contract will run for a fixed term of 12 months commencing 1st April 2026 and ending 31st March 2027, with no option to extend. This timeframe enables the newly formed NHS Essex Integrated Care Board to complete the ongoing procurement for an Essex-wide service. The total estimated contract value is £4374907.00.