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North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust Out of Area Psychiatric Intensive Care (PICU) Placement

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust Out of Area Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Placement

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

TenderUpdate

10 Aug 2026 at 16:55

Tender Notice
Award

10 Aug 2026 at 15:46

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust commissioned an out-of-area Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) placement for a named patient. The service is specialised inpatient mental health care for someone experiencing the acutely disturbed phase of a serious mental disorder, including assessment and comprehensive treatment. The patient is to receive daily reviews from Monday to Friday and may be repatriated when clinically appropriate. The work is delivered at Cygnet Hospital in Bury, Greater Manchester, while the commissioning organisation is based in Trentham. This is a healthcare services requirement, specifically psychiatric hospital services. It is a continuation of arrangements previously made through spot purchasing by the relevant integrated care board, but this placement is contracted directly by North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust.

The procurement has been awarded under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, using Direct Award Process B without a prior call for competition. The award decision was made on 3 August 2026 and the contract was signed on that date. Cygnet Hospital was selected as the supplier, with an active contract valued at £28,980. The stated nominal period is four weeks from 3 August 2026, although the overall duration is unknown. The published description was amended to clarify that the rate is £1,035 per day, rather than per week. The Trust said it contacted all known providers and only this supplier responded within the required timeframe. Evaluation was based entirely on price and availability.

This award indicates demand for providers able to deliver highly specialised psychiatric intensive care for patients requiring secure, intensive inpatient mental health treatment outside their usual area. A credible future competitor would need access to PICU capacity, appropriately qualified clinical staff, robust assessment and treatment arrangements, and the ability to support regular weekday clinical reviews. The requirement also favours providers able to manage patient repatriation when clinically appropriate and respond quickly to individual placement needs. The Trust’s rationale says availability is limited nationally and that only one provider responded within the required timeframe, highlighting the importance of demonstrable capacity and rapid placement response. Experience of spot purchasing or comparable NHS-funded psychiatric placements would help a provider show that it can work within this commissioning route.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust Out of Area Psychiatric Intensive Care (PICU) Placement

Notice Description

This Contract Award Notice is placed under the Healthcare Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, Regulation 8 for Direct Award Process B, where the ICB is awarding this contract having conducted spot purchasing analysis and concluded that this is the only available option, and the ICB has a choice of providers, and is not seeking to restrict the number of providers. The service is for specialised Psychiatric care for a named patient. Psychiatric Intensive Care Units (PICU) are specialist wards that provide inpatient mental health care, assessment and comprehensive treatment to individuals who are experiencing the most acutely disturbed phase of a serious mental disorder. The contract has been awarded following direct award process B at PS1,035.00 per week for a nominal period of 4 weeks as the duration is unknown. The patient would be reviewed daily Mon-Friday and would be repatriated where clinically appropriate. Estimated total cost of PS28,980.00 from 3rd August 2026 to not known. The Trust had a spot purchasing arrangement with this provider in the past, and this is a continuation of this service for a new placement, now coming directly through the Trust whereas previously it sat under the ICB. The contract is new as the Trust are placing the contract directly, but the arrangements have been previously in place under the spot purchasing via the ICB.

Lot Information

Lot 1

This Contract Award Notice is placed under the Healthcare Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, Regulation 8 for Direct Award Process B, where the ICB is awarding this contract having conducted spot purchasing analysis and concluded that this is the only available option, and the ICB has a choice of providers, and is not seeking to restrict the number of providers. The service is for specialised Psychiatric care for a named patient. Psychiatric Intensive Care Units (PICU) are specialist wards that provide inpatient mental health care, assessment and comprehensive treatment to individuals who are experiencing the most acutely disturbed phase of a serious mental disorder. The contract has been awarded following direct award process B at PS1,035.00 per week for a nominal period of 4 weeks as the duration is unknown. The patient would be reviewed daily Mon-Friday and would be repatriated where clinically appropriate. Estimated total cost of PS28,980.00 from 3rd August 2026 to not known. The Trust had a spot purchasing arrangement with this provider in the past, and this is a continuation of this service for a new placement, now coming directly through the Trust whereas previously it sat under the ICB. The contract is new as the Trust are placing the contract directly, but the arrangements have been previously in place under the spot purchasing via the ICB.

Procurement Information

This contract is awarded under the Provider Selection Regime for the arrangement of Healthcare Services Direct Award B where the Trust is not seeking to limit the competition. The patient has no legal right to choose the provider, but the Trust does not want to restrict the number of providers. This is highly specialised psychiatric services with limited availability nationally. All known providers were contacted to ascertain whether they could provide the required services, and only this supplier responded in the required timeframe.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06e072
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/075924-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Tender 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

85111500 - Psychiatric hospital services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£28,980 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
10 Aug 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
North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust Out of Area Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Placement
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
TRENTHAM
Postcode
ST4 8HH
Postcode Area
Stoke-on-Trent
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG2 Shropshire and Staffordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG23 Stoke-on-Trent
Delivery Location
TLD36 Greater Manchester North West
Local Authority
Stoke-on-Trent
Electoral Ward
Hanford, Newstead & Trentham
Westminster Constituency
Stoke-on-Trent South

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Cygnet Hospital

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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