Discharge to Assess Community Beds

Description

NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board have awarded a time limited contract for the provision of 8 P2 Pathway Discharge to Assess Beds to Brunelcare Ltd under urgent circumstances. These beds will be delivered at Orchard Grove operated by Brunelcare Ltd. The system is facing an immediate and unplanned capacity shortfall from April 2026 and creates a direct and imminent risk to patient safety and system flow, which could not reasonably have been fully mitigated through earlier procurement action given the reliance on transformation programmes that were, at the time, expected to reduce demand within the existing contracted capacity. Pathway 2 (P2) beds form part of the Discharge to Assess (D2A) model and are intended for individuals who are medically optimised for discharge from acute hospital settings but require a short period of ongoing recovery, rehabilitation, and/or assessment prior to returning home or moving to a more appropriate long-term care setting. P2 beds are typically provided within community-based rehabilitation units, step-down facilities, or care home environments and focus on enabling individuals to regain independence, reduce care needs where possible, and support safe discharge through multidisciplinary input, including therapy and clinical oversight where required. The service is VAT‑exempt, and all contract values stated are excluding VAT Lot 1: NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board have awarded a time limited contract in accordance with Regulation 14 of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 for the provision of 8 P2 Pathway Discharge to Assess Beds to Brunelcare Ltd under urgent circumstances. These beds will be delivered at Orchard Grove operated by Brunelcare Ltd. The system is facing an immediate and unplanned capacity shortfall from April 2026 and creates a direct and imminent risk to patient safety and system flow, which could not reasonably have been fully mitigated through earlier procurement action given the reliance on transformation programmes that were, at the time, expected to reduce demand within the existing contracted capacity. Pathway 2 (P2) beds form part of the Discharge to Assess (D2A) model and are intended for individuals who are medically optimised for discharge from acute hospital settings but require a short period of ongoing recovery, rehabilitation, and/or assessment prior to returning home or moving to a more appropriate long-term care setting. P2 beds are typically provided within community-based rehabilitation units, step-down facilities, or care home environments and focus on enabling individuals to regain independence, reduce care needs where possible, and support safe discharge through multidisciplinary input, including therapy and clinical oversight where required. The service is VAT‑exempt, and all contract values stated are excluding VAT The total lifetime value of the contract will be a maximum of £727,619.03 The contract value stated is exclusive of VAT. The services being procured constitute VAT-exempt welfare services provided by a registered care home The contract term will commence 01 April 2026 for up to a maximum period of 12 months ending 31 March 2027. From 01 April 2026, NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board and NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board will operate under a clustered model, comprising shared leadership and functions; however, each Integrated Care Board will remain a separate statutory organisation with its own legal responsibilities. This arrangement is relevant to the future commissioning approach but does not alter the accountability for this contract award. This notice has been published by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioners.