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Dental Urgent Care Helpline(s) across the South West

NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

24 Aug 2026 at 09:06

Planning Notice
Summary of the contracting process

NHS England South West intends to recommission Dental Urgent Care Helplines across the South West. The services would initially cover the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire and Devon Integrated Care Board areas, with potential expansion to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire, and Dorset. NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board and NHS Devon Integrated Care Board are the identified buyers; NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit is carrying out the exercise for the commissioner. The service is a secondary triage and booking pathway for NHS 111 patients without access to a dentist who need unscheduled urgent or non-urgent dental care. It will operate across the relevant South West areas.

This is a planned Provider Selection Regime prior information and market-engagement exercise, not an invitation to tender or a call for competition. The commissioner is seeking provider interest and feedback on a draft specification through a questionnaire and engagement events planned for Bristol on 17 September 2026 and Exeter on 30 September 2026. Registration is due to close at 12 noon on 10 September 2026. A subsequent notice is expected on 1 December 2026. The earliest potential service commencement is 1 July 2027 in Devon. Contracts are expected to run initially for three years, with an option to extend by up to two further years; dates and lengths will be confirmed later. The arrangement is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.

The service will suit established dental, urgent-care or NHS healthcare providers able to deliver a clinically governed telephone triage and appointment-booking pathway. Providers will need access to appropriately trained clinical triage professionals, including General Dental Council-registered dental care professionals, and the ability to assess patients against national guidance for emergency, urgent and non-urgent unscheduled dental care. The operating model requires secure interoperability with NHS 111, because patients will be transferred into the service rather than contacting it directly. Strong local knowledge of NHS dental services, urgent-care capacity and referral pathways will be important. Relevant suppliers should be able to prioritise clinical risk, vulnerability and access barriers, provide qualified advice and information, and book suitable urgent dental appointments across one or more South West health-system areas.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Dental Urgent Care Helpline(s) across the South West

Notice Description

This notice is placed as a Prior Information Notice (PIN) to inform the market of NHS England South West's intention to recommission Dental Urgent Care Helplines within each of the Integrated Care Board (ICBs) regions below. 1. Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) 2. Devon There is also potential for the other ICBs in the South West to recommission the services in their areas 1. Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 2. Gloucestershire 3. Somerset 4. Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) 5. Dorset Please note that Devon and Cornwall ICBs are transitioning to form a 'cluster'; similarly BNSSG and Gloucestershire are forming a 'cluster'; and Somerset, Dorset and BSW are forming a cluster, ahead of statutory mergers taking formal effect, likely from April 2027. At this time, the Commissioners would like to understand the level of provider interest in delivering the services and invites interested parties to express an interest by completing a market engagement questionnaire. There will also be the opportunity to attend one of the market engagement events which will be held as follows: 17th September in Bristol 30th September in Exeter Further details to be confirmed with those who express an interest). The purpose of the event will be to share further detail of the commissioners' aims and objectives for the service, as well as provide an opportunity for commissioners to obtain valuable feedback from providers to help inform the commissioning strategy. Details on how to express interest and/or register for the event are provided below. The contract term and start date will likely vary across the ICBs in the South West, with the earliest potential date of commencement being 1st July 2027 for Devon. Contracts will likely be for an initial term of 3 years and an option to extend for up to a further two years. However, contract length(s) will be confirmed at a later date. This exercise is being carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioner.

Lot Information

Lot 1

This notice is placed as a Prior Information Notice (PIN) to inform the market of NHS England South West's intention to recommission Dental Urgent Care Helplines within each of the Integrated Care Board (ICBs) regions below. 1. Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) 2. Devon There is also potential for the other ICBs in the South West to recommission the services in their areas 3. Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 4. Gloucestershire 5. Somerset 6. Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire 7. Dorset Please note that Devon and Cornwall ICBs are transitioning to form a 'cluster'; similarly BNSSG and Gloucestershire are forming a 'cluster'; and Somerset, Dorset and BSW are forming a cluster, ahead of statutory mergers taking formal effect, likely from April 2027. At this time, the Commissioners would like to understand the level of provider interest in delivering the services and invites interested parties to express an interest by completing a market engagement questionnaire. The aim of the Dental Urgent Care Helpline Service is to provide an accessible and equitable pathway for patients transferred from NHS 111 that do not have access to a dentist and require unscheduled urgent or non-urgent dental care within operational hours of the service. The Service shall operate as a secondary triage and booking service and will only accept patient contacts transferred from NHS 111 via agreed interoperability mechanisms. Direct public access to the Service is not available. The service will triage and assess all patients transferred against the national clinical guidance criteria for unscheduled urgent and non urgent dental care As defined in the Management of acute dental problems guidance produced by the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP), patients requiring unscheduled dental care can be categorised into 1 of the following 3 categories: * emergency unscheduled care (immediately life threatening and oral and dental conditions): patients who may require clinical triage by an appropriately trained clinical triage professional within 60 minutes and subsequent treatment within a timescale that is appropriate to the severity of the condition; * urgent unscheduled care: patients who may require clinical care within 24 hours or as soon as practically possible, unless the condition worsens; * non-urgent unscheduled care: patients requiring dental care within 7 days, unless the conditions worsens. The Service will: * prioritise patients based on clinical risk, vulnerability and access barriers and direct to the most appropriate service or offered proper and qualified advice from a General Dental Council (GDC) registered dental care professional. * Provide information about NHS dental services in the area * Provide appropriate advice and signposting for non urgent dental enquiries * Support effective utilisation of commissioned urgent dental capacity by booking patients into urgent care appointments. This will: * Reduce inappropriate emergency department attendance * Improve patient flow through urgent dental care pathways through the provision of access to unscheduled dental care and appropriate advice and information A draft service specification has been developed and the commissioner is seeking feedback from providers via a market engagement questionnaire and a market engagement event to help inform the final specification and commissioning strategy.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ea18
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/080146-2026
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

85130000 - Dental practice and related services

Notice Value(s)

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

Notice Dates

Publication Date
24 Aug 20262 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 Dec 20264 months to go
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 Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board
Additional Buyers

NHS Devon Integrated Care Board

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

Buyer Location

Locality
BRISTOL
Postcode
BS1 6AG
Postcode Area
Bristol
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK5 West of England
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK51 Bristol, City of
Delivery Location
TLK South West (England)
Local Authority
Bristol, City of
Electoral Ward
Central
Westminster Constituency
Bristol Central

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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