Provision of a 24/7 Section 12 Doctor Rota for Mental Health Act Assessments in Surrey - Market Engagement Opportunity

Description

Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board (ICB), in partnership with Surrey County Council, is exploring options to commission a sustainable, high-quality solution for the provision of Section 12 approved doctors to support the delivery of Mental Health Act assessments across Surrey. We are seeking a provider (or group of providers) who can deliver a reliable, year-round rota of Section 12 approved doctors to attend Mental Health Act assessments when requested by local Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs). This will include: • 24/7/365 coverage with one Section 12 doctor on-call at all times • A back-up doctor for surge or dual-assessment requirements • A single point of contact/booking system accessible to AMHP teams • Full compliance with clinical governance, performance and response expectations In 2024/25, there were 1,773 Section 12 assessments conducted in Surrey. The estimated contract value is £500,000 - £600,000 per annum, and we are seeking a provider with the capability to support this statutory function across a geographically large and diverse county. The contract duration is proposed as potentially 3 years with up to a 2 year extension option. Attached is a draft service specification setting out our proposed requirements. At this stage, we are inviting expressions of interest, alongside any comments or questions providers may have regarding the scope, delivery model, or commercial approach. We welcome responses from: • NHS or independent sector providers with experience in urgent mental health delivery • Clinical staffing agencies with a track record in rota management and mental health settings • New market entrants with a strong track record of high standard delivery who can mobilise the required capabilities • Partnerships or consortia (including clinical chambers or equivalent) who can jointly meet the full -service requirements To register for a conversation with ICB colleagues please respond by Noon (12pm) on Friday 12th December 2025 via email to Stuart Meredith (stuart.meredith1@nhs.net). Lot 1: 1. Introduction and Background Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board (ICB is seeking to commission a provider to deliver a consistent, reliable, and high-quality Section 12 doctor rota to support the delivery of Mental Health Act (MHA) assessments across the Surrey geography. In 2024/25, there were 1,773 Mental Health Act assessments conducted across the Surrey system requiring a Section 12 approved doctor. The ICB is seeking a single commissioned solution to deliver sustainable, year-round coverage, coordinated via a central point of contact. This service specification sets out the requirements for delivery of this essential statutory function. 2. Service Objectives The provider will: • Ensure continuous 24/7, 365-day cover of at least one Section 12 approved doctor on-call for MHA assessments across Surrey. • Maintain a back-up doctor to provide resilience for surges in demand or unplanned unavailability. • Operate a centralised point of contact to enable timely booking and deployment of doctors by the Surrey AMHP service. • Ensure response times and availability support legal and clinical requirements under the Mental Health Act. 3. Scope of Service 3.1 Core Requirements • Provision of one Section 12 approved doctor on-call at all times. • Provision of a second back-up doctor to: o Attend where two doctors are required. o Provide resilience in cases of multiple simultaneous assessments or unavailability. • Doctors must be Section 12 approved under the Mental Health Act, and appropriately indemnified and revalidated. • Doctors must have recent experience in Mental Health Act assessments, ideally within community or urgent care settings. Additional information: Service Specification will be forwarded to providers responding to this market engagement opportunity. This is not dependent on booking a discussion with ICB colleagues.