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Community Dental Services (CDS), which covers; Special Care & Paediatric Dentistry (SCPD) including access to General Anaesthesia to NHS East Kent, a Kent and Medway domiciliary Service, Sussex and Kent and Medway Helpdesk and Periodontic service for East Kent

NHS South Central and West CSU

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

AwardUpdate

15 Sep 2026 at 17:53

Award Notice
TenderUpdate

18 Feb 2026 at 17:04

Tender Notice
Award

23 Jan 2026 at 13:27

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board commissioned community dental services across Kent and Medway. The requirement covers Special Care and Paediatric Dentistry for children and adults with additional needs who cannot receive treatment in a general dental practice, including patients with physical or learning disabilities and those needing additional support. Services are referral-only, usually through a dentist or doctor, and include home visits for housebound patients and access to general anaesthesia. The procurement also covers specialist periodontic services, a Kent and Medway domiciliary service, and helpdesk provision for Sussex and Kent and Medway. The four service areas are East Kent, and Medway and West Kent, with general anaesthesia services contracted separately. The work is classified as dental-practice services.

The procurement is complete and contracts were awarded under Provider Selection Regime Direct Award Process C, without a prior competition, because existing providers were assessed as meeting the required standard. Quality carried 100% of the evaluation and price 0%. Contracts were awarded on 4 December 2025 to Kent Community NHS Foundation Trust for East Kent SCPD (£18,514,522) and East Kent SCPD with general anaesthesia (£1,445,813), and to Medway Community Health for Medway and West Kent SCPD (£8,548,049) and related general anaesthesia (£3,772,954). Each contract runs for 36 months from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029. A formally awarded modification took effect on 1 September 2026, extending specialist periodontic coverage across Kent and Medway and increasing the East Kent contract by £883,164; its term remains unchanged.

This procurement indicates sustained NHS demand for specialist community dental care for patients who cannot use ordinary dental practices. A credible future competitor would need experienced clinicians able to provide Special Care and Paediatric Dentistry, including treatment for people with physical or learning disabilities, and the clinical governance and workforce arrangements to deliver general anaesthesia safely. Capability to operate referral pathways with dentists and doctors, support housebound patients through domiciliary visits, and coordinate care across Kent and Medway would be important. The modification also shows demand for specialist periodontic services with wider geographical coverage, requiring sufficient workforce, premises, equipment and operational infrastructure to expand access quickly while maintaining continuity, patient safety and consistent clinical standards. Integration with local dental networks and established helpdesk functions would strengthen delivery credibility.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Community Dental Services (CDS), which covers; Special Care & Paediatric Dentistry (SCPD) including access to General Anaesthesia to NHS East Kent, a Kent and Medway domiciliary Service, Sussex and Kent and Medway Helpdesk and Periodontic service for East Kent

Notice Description

This is an intention to award notice. SCPD services are available for children and adults with additional needs who are unable to have treatment at a general dental practice. It is a referral-only service, providing a range of dental treatments for children and adults with additional needs, including physical or learning disabilities, or where they have a need for additional support to receive treatment. Home visits are also provided for patients who are housebound. People are usually referred in via their dentist or doctor. NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) intends to award contracts to 2 existing providers following Direct Award Process C of the UK Health Care Services (PSR) Regulations 2023 for SCPD services in the Kent and Medway area. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. The existing SCPD contracts have previously been contracted under the Standard Clauses For A Personal Dental Services (PDS) Agreement and include the provision of general anaesthetic (GA) services. As the provision of services under GA is excluded under clause 73 of the PDS contract, SCPD GA services will instead be contracted for separately under NHS standard contracts. The terms of the existing SCPD contracts are due to expire on 31st March 2026 and NHS Kent and Medway ICB have proposed that new SCPD and SCPD GA contracts should replace the existing contracts at the end of their term. All requirements outlined in Regulation 6(5) of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 have been met, including that the considerable change threshold has not been met, and therefore Direct Award Process C has been determined as the appropriate provider selection process. After conducting assessments of the existing providers, taking into account the key criteria and applying the basic selection criteria, NHS Kent and Medway ICB is content that the existing providers are satisfying the original contracts and will likely satisfy the proposed contracts to a sufficient standard. The awarded contract will be for a term of 36 months and are due to commence from 1st April 2026, terminating 31st March 2029. The total maximum contract value of these contracts is PS32,281,338. There are 4 contracts being awarded to 2 providers as follows:- 1. SCPD for East Kent - Kent Community NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT) 2. SCPD GA for East Kent - Kent Community NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT) 3. SCPD for Medway and West Kent - Medway Community Health (MCH) 4. SCPD GA for Medway and West Kent - Medway Community Health (MCH)

Lot Information

SCPD for East Kent

The contract is being modified to extend the delivery of specialist periodontic services across the whole of Kent and Medway. The existing service is currently limited to the eastern part of the county. The amendment will enable equitable access to specialist periodontic care for eligible patients across the entire Kent and Medway area. The value of the additional services to be provided under this modification is estimated at PS883,164.

SCPD GA for East Kent

This transparency notice serves as an intention to award the contract to the existing provider, using Direct Award Process C under PSR. SCPD services are available for children and adults with additional needs who are unable to have treatment at a general dental practice. It is a referral-only service, providing a range of dental treatments for children and adults with additional needs, including physical or learning disabilities, or where they have a need for additional support to receive treatment. Home visits are also provided for patients who are housebound. People are usually referred in via their dentist or doctor. The awarded contract for this Lot will be for a term of 36 months and is due to commence from 1st April 2026, terminating 31st March 2029. The total maximum value of the contract is PS1,445,813. A 36-month award is proposed - this will allow other providers the opportunity to express an interest to deliver services in the medium term. The existing service will not change, and the new contract will be based on current clinical standards.

SCPD for Medway and West Kent

This transparency notice serves as an intention to award the contract to the existing provider, using Direct Award Process C under PSR. SCPD services are available for children and adults with additional needs who are unable to have treatment at a general dental practice. It is a referral-only service, providing a range of dental treatments for children and adults with additional needs, including physical or learning disabilities, or where they have a need for additional support to receive treatment. Home visits are also provided for patients who are housebound. People are usually referred in via their dentist or doctor. The awarded contract for this Lot will be for a term of 36 months and is due to commence from 1st April 2026, terminating 31st March 2029. The total maximum value of the contract is PS8,548,049. A 36-month award is proposed - this will allow other providers the opportunity to express an interest to deliver services in the medium term. The existing service will not change, and the new contract will be based on current clinical standards.

SCPD GA for Medway and West Kent

This transparency notice serves as an intention to award the contract to the existing provider, using Direct Award Process C under PSR. SCPD services are available for children and adults with additional needs who are unable to have treatment at a general dental practice. It is a referral-only service, providing a range of dental treatments for children and adults with additional needs, including physical or learning disabilities, or where they have a need for additional support to receive treatment. Home visits are also provided for patients who are housebound. People are usually referred in via their dentist or doctor. The awarded contract for this Lot will be for a term of 36 months and is due to commence from 1st April 2026, terminating 31st March 2029. The total maximum value of the contract is PS3,772,954. A 36-month award is proposed - this will allow other providers the opportunity to express an interest to deliver services in the medium term. The existing service will not change, and the new contract will be based on current clinical standards.

Procurement Information

This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by 5th February 2026. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-060d58
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/087515-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85130000 - Dental practice and related services

85131000 - Dental-practice services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£51,679,024 £10M-£100M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
15 Sep 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Cancelled
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NHS South Central and West CSU
Additional Buyers

NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) on behalf of NHS England

Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
MAIDSTONE
Postcode
ME15 6NB
Postcode Area
Rochester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ4 Kent
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ45 Mid Kent
Delivery Location
TLJ4 Kent
Local Authority
Maidstone
Electoral Ward
High Street
Westminster Constituency
Maidstone and Malling

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
2
Supplier Names

Kent Community NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT)

Medway Community Health (MCH)

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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