Planning

Antipsychotic Medicines Prescribing and Drug Safety Monitoring

NHS DEVON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

29 Aug 2025 at 07:18

Planning Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The NHS Devon Integrated Care Board (ICB) is in the planning stage for a procurement process titled "Antipsychotic Medicines Prescribing and Drug Safety Monitoring". This service falls under the category of psychiatrist or psychologist services, and it is intended to serve patients registered with a GP in Devon, UK. The procurement involves providing ongoing prescribing and monitoring of antipsychotic drugs in line with NICE guidelines. The assessment process will begin on or after 15 September 2025, with the procurement targeting the appointment of the Most Suitable Provider as per the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The service is expected to commence in early October 2025, initially serving up to 120 patients, with a future notice date set for 14 October 2025.

This tender represents a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in psychiatric services and drug safety monitoring, particularly those with expertise in managing antipsychotic medication. Companies adept at remote service delivery, supported by systems such as Teams, and offering comprehensive patient engagement strategies could be well-positioned to benefit. The procurement process prioritises services delivered close to home or virtually, presenting potential growth for businesses that can address challenges such as digital poverty and IT connectivity issues. With NHS Devon seeking a provider capable of comprehensive drug safety monitoring and able to liaise with secondary mental health services, this tender could be particularly appealing to businesses with robust clinical and operational capabilities in psychiatric care.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Antipsychotic Medicines Prescribing and Drug Safety Monitoring

Notice Description

NHS Devon is intending to commission the provision of an antipsychotic prescribing and drug safety monitoring service for patients registered with a GP in Devon. Any values stated within this Intended Approach Notice are for guideline purposes only and should not be taken as a guarantee. NHS Devon is seeking providers of psychiatric lead service to offer drug safety monitoring and prescribing of antipsychotics in line with the relevant NICE regulations and guidelines for a known cohort of patients.

Lot Information

Lot 1

In England, the prevalence of psychotic disorders (including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and affective psychosis) is estimated to be around 0.5% of people aged 16 and older. A 2014 survey found that 0.7% of survey respondents had experienced psychotic disorder in the past year. NHS England also notes that psychosis affects up to 3% of the population and is associated with significant social impairment and reduced life expectancy. The 2014 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) found that around 0.5% of people aged 16 years or older in England had received a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder (schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or affective psychosis) in the preceding year. The median lifetime risk for schizophrenia is 7.2 per 1000 people. The male-to-female risk ratio is 1.4:1. The age of onset peaks around age 20-25 years for males and 25-30 years for females. A smaller second peak of onset occurs in women after the age of 45-50 years. Patients with schizophrenia have a higher mortality and shorter life expectancy than the general population due to physical illness (including cardiovascular diseases and cancers), accidents, and suicide. The population this contract is due to serve is a defined group of patients that previously had antipsychotic medication administered through primary care. Due to the primary care provider being unable to continue prescribing Antipsychotic medication we require a psychiatry led provider to manage the on-going prescribing and drug safety monitoring of this identified group of patients who at the point of transfer are not open to secondary MH services. The primary aim of this service is to provide ongoing prescribing function for the antipsychotic medication and drug safety monitoring. The initial requirement is for up to 120 patients across NHS Devon from early October 2025. However, the number of patients may increase throughout the lifetime of the contract and may alter by point of contract award. The provider will: * Ensure ongoing drug safety monitoring and prescribing including appropriate blood tests* and ECGs and informed by NICE guidelines * Ensure that any concerns related to the person's mental health are appropriately escalated to the secondary mental health provider. * Issue prescription that will be dispended by the patient's local pharmacy. It is anticipated that after an initial review, 1-2 months prescription lengths would be required, with a 12 month annual review. However, the provider must use clinical judgement, informed by NICE guidance, to determine the physical health monitoring needs of the individual and safe length of prescription. The ICB envisages care being delivered as close to home as possible, however this could include the service being delivered remotely, with the preferred remote method of contact being agreed with the patient. Where the service is delivered remotely it is anticipated that the primary method will be via Teams (or an equivalent system for safe virtual delivery) and the provider will take reasonable steps to support the patient in the utilisation of IT where advice and guidance may be required e.g. easy to read, jargon free instructions. Should digital poverty or IT connectivity prevent use of virtual delivery, the provider needs to have mitigations available. A range of strategies to proactively engage with patients especially in relation to non-attendance will be required. *blood tests include * Full Blood Count, Blood Lipids, Plasma Glucose or HbA1c, Liver Functions Tests, Creatinine Kinase, Prolactin

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-058fea
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/052253-2025
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Planning Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85121270 - Psychiatrist or psychologist services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
29 Aug 20255 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
13 Oct 2025Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NHS DEVON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
d-icb.contracting@nhs.net
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
EXETER
Postcode
EX2 5AZ
Post Town
Exeter
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK4 Devon
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK43 Devon CC
Delivery Location
TLK4 Devon
Local Authority
Exeter
Electoral Ward
Priory
Westminster Constituency
Exeter

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts. 

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