South London Outreach Services

Tender description

NHS South East London & NHS South West London Integrated Care Boards are seeking to commission an integrated Immunisation Outreach, Hospital In-Reach and Vaccination Engagement Services across South London for 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2028 with option to extend for a further 12 months to 31 March 2029. The service forms a key part of the South London Vaccination and Immunisation Programme and will support the ambition to protect the health and wellbeing of residents through increasing equitable access to vaccination and preventative healthcare interventions, reducing health inequalities and improving population health outcomes. The service will ensure that all eligible individuals, regardless of age, ethnicity, race, disability, socioeconomic status, pregnancy status, protected characteristic or geographical location, have access to timely, convenient and accessible vaccination opportunities delivered through a range of community and healthcare settings. The Provider will deliver an integrated model of community outreach, hospital in-reach, vaccination engagement and proactive population outreach across the London Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark for SE London and Croydon, Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton & Wandsworth for SW London. Delivery will be tailored to local population need and informed by population health intelligence, vaccination uptake data and identified health inequalities. Services will be delivered through a range of accessible venues, locations, days and times, including community venues, faith and cultural settings, mobile and pop-up clinics, hospitals, inpatient wards, outpatient departments and other settings where eligible individuals can be offered vaccination opportunistically. A key objective of the service is to generate and maintain public trust and confidence through sustained community engagement, culturally competent approaches and partnership working with trusted local organisations and community leaders. The Provider will actively address vaccine hesitancy and misinformation, promote choice and improve confidence in communities known to experience lower uptake. The service will place particular emphasis on identifying, prioritising and reaching vulnerable, underserved and under-vaccinated populations, including Core20PLUS5 populations immunosuppressed individuals, people with complex long-term conditions, ethnically diverse communities, socially excluded groups, pregnant women and other cohorts identified through national and local vaccination priorities. The Provider will establish and operate a dedicated vaccination contact centre to proactively engage patients; support appointment booking and undertake targeted outbound engagement with clinically vulnerable and high-risk groups. This will include proactive outreach to immunosuppressed and severely immunocompromised individuals who may require additional support to access vaccination services. The Provider will work collaboratively as a system partner with NHS Trusts, Primary Care Networks, General Practice, Community Pharmacy, Local Authorities, Public Health teams and Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise organisations to ensure services are accessible, coordinated and responsive to local need. Through community outreach, hospital in-reach and targeted engagement activity, the service will seek to increase vaccination uptake across South London, reduce the incidence and impact of COVID-19 and other vaccine-preventable diseases, minimise avoidable illness, hospital admissions and deaths, and ensure that individuals and communities are protected quickly and effectively. The provider is expected to demonstrate a proven track record in delivering community outreach, hospital in-reach and vaccination contact centre services for a minimum of three years in South London, with prior experience in meeting the key objectives and service requirements as outlined. Annual contract value: £840,000. Lot 1: NHS South East London and NHS South West London Integrated Care Boards intend to commission a South London Immunisation Outreach, Hospital In-Reach and Vaccination Engagement Service. The service will support the delivery of national and local vaccination and immunisation programmes through an integrated model of community outreach, hospital in-reach, population engagement and targeted outbound calling activity, with the overarching aim of improving vaccination uptake, reducing health inequalities and increasing access for eligible residents across South London. The Provider will be responsible for delivering culturally appropriate, innovative and responsive vaccination services that ensure eligible residents are able to access vaccinations conveniently, safely and equitably regardless of protected characteristics. The service will support the strategic objectives of the South London Vaccination and Immunisation Programme by: • Maintaining and, where possible, improving vaccination coverage across South London • Protecting the health and wellbeing of residents by reducing the incidence and impact of COVID-19, seasonal influenza and other vaccine-preventable diseases • Supporting reductions in vaccine-preventable illness, avoidable hospital admissions and mortality • Increasing vaccination confidence and uptake amongst eligible populations • Reducing inequalities in access to vaccination services • Ensuring timely and efficient delivery of programmes • Improving access for underserved and under-vaccinated communities • Supporting wider prevention and population health objectives Community Outreach Service The Provider shall deliver outreach vaccination activity informed by vaccination uptake data, population health intelligence and local community need. The planning and delivery of outreach services must be in partnership with local communities, public health teams, NHS organisations, primary care, local authorities and voluntary, community and faith sector organisations to improve access, trust and confidence in vaccination. Outreach delivery may include, but is not limited to: • Pop-up vaccination events in community centres, libraries and children's centres • Vaccination clinics in schools, colleges and universities • Outreach delivery within hostels and supported accommodation • Faith-based vaccination events in places of worship and religious centres • Satellite vaccination clinics located within trusted community venues • Mobile and roving vaccination services • Maternity and hospital settings • Community engagement and awareness raising events • Outreach services targeted towards underserved and seldom-heard populations The Provider shall ensure vaccination awareness, education and engagement activities form an integral component of all outreach activity. Hospital In-Reach Service The Provider shall deliver a hospital in-reach vaccination model across South London acute and community healthcare settings. Hospital-based activity shall focus on reducing missed opportunities for vaccination by integrating vaccination offers into routine healthcare contacts and clinical pathways. This will include: • Vaccination of eligible inpatients • Vaccination prior to discharge from hospital • Vaccination opportunities within outpatient departments and ambulatory care settings • Vaccination through specialist clinics caring for clinically vulnerable patients • Opportunistic vaccination of eligible individuals during healthcare interactions • Working with OH teams to deliver seasonal healthcare worker vaccinations The Provider shall work collaboratively with NHS Trusts to embed vaccination into routine care and maximise vaccination uptake amongst patients and staff. Vaccination Contact Centre and Outbound Calling The Provider shall establish and operate a vaccination contact centre which will support the delivery of vaccination and immunisation programmes across South London. The contact centre shall: • Be accessible through a centralised telephone number and email service • Respond to patient queries and vaccination enquiries • Accept referrals from commissioners and partner organisations • Support appointment booking and scheduling • Provide information regarding vaccine eligibility, clinic locations and appointment availability • Support service access for vulnerable individuals. • Maintain appropriate records of patient interactions and outcomes The Provider shall also undertake proactive outbound calling and patient engagement activity designed to improve uptake amongst eligible residents. This will include targeted outbound calling to: • Immunosuppressed and immunocompromised patients • Individuals identified as clinically vulnerable • Patients with complex long-term conditions • Individuals who have not responded to previous vaccination invitations • Individuals who have missed booked appointments • Other priority cohorts identified through national or local vaccination programme requirements Service Requirements The Provider shall: • Work with system partners to reduce inequalities in vaccination uptake and access • Provide culturally sensitive, accessible and linguistically appropriate services • Understand and address barriers to vaccination uptake • Undertake effective community engagement and educational activity • Build and maintain trust within underserved communities • Provide transparent and accessible information about vaccination programmes • Support informed choice and address misinformation where appropriate • Provide confident conversations training for stakeholders • Apply the Making Every Contact Count (MECC) approach to support wider health and wellbeing outcomes • Support the co-administration of COVID-19, influenza and other eligible vaccinations where clinically appropriate • Vaccinate eligible infants (6 months to 4 years), children, young people and adults in accordance with current national guidance • Support surge vaccination activity and outbreak management responses where required and have the capability to work in partnership with system providers and in coordination with ICBs and relevant public health bodies to: o Swiftly respond and step up operations o Adjust workforce levels o Reallocate resources within agreed financial envelope o Deploy staff to critical areas o Work collaboratively with relevant health authorities and stakeholders • Maintain effective arrangements for safeguarding, clinical governance and quality assurance • Have capability to administer vaccinations under Schedule 7A in outbreak scenarios • Attend regular operational meetings with ICBs and Local Authority partners Medicines Management and Clinical Governance The Provider shall ensure robust clinical governance arrangements are maintained throughout the contract term. This shall include: • Appropriate cold-chain facilities for the receipt and storage of vaccines • Pharmacist oversight of vaccine storage, transportation and handling • Use of validated cool boxes and temperature monitoring devices • Maintenance of auditable records demonstrating cold-chain compliance • Accurate and timely vaccination recording • Adverse incident and adverse event reporting • Compliance with all relevant NHS, UKHSA and regulatory requirements • Continuous monitoring of safety, quality and service performance Expected Outcomes The Provider will be expected to demonstrate delivery against the following outcomes: • Increased vaccination uptake across South London • Increased uptake amongst underserved populations • Increased uptake amongst immunosuppressed and clinically vulnerable cohorts • Increased uptake resulting from hospital in-reach activity • Increased vaccination confidence amongst target communities • Reduction in inequalities in vaccination coverage • Improved accessibility of vaccination services • Reduced missed opportunities for vaccination • Effective and timely delivery of vaccination programmes • Improved patient experience and satisfaction • Strengthened partnerships between healthcare providers, local authorities and community organisations • Demonstrable contribution to reducing vaccine-preventable illness and improving population health outcomes The provider is expected to demonstrate they can mobilise and commence the full provision of services from 1st April 2027. Additional information: Data, Reporting and Quality The Provider shall: • Maintain accurate vaccination records • Use approved NHS information systems • Submit activity and performance reports • Capture service user feedback and manage complaints • Support audit and evaluation activity • Monitor quality, patient safety and patient experience • Ensure all staff receive sufficient training • Provide appropriate supervision and legal mechanisms • Maintain a robust incident reporting processes • Ensure learning from incidents is incorporated into practice • Ensure compliance with Safeguarding, Infection Prevention and Control, and Adverse Reaction Reporting policies • Provide evaluation of outreach services through quantitative and qualitative data • Provide evidence of innovative approaches to engage underserved communities • Monitor and report activity in accordance with contractual standards • Maintain records for monthly Access and Inequalities funding reporting • Provide activity data outlining vaccination of relevant populations • Participate in pan-London evaluation if required Key performance indicators • Evidence of innovative approaches to engage underserved communities • Evidence of collaborative working with system partners • Number of outreach/roving vaccination clinics delivered • Number of hospital in-reach/fixed site clinics delivered • Service user experience and feedback-led improvement • Availability of activity data in line with contractual requirements • Evidence of incident reporting compliance • Evidence of vaccine hesitancy training delivery The ICB will be guided by the five key criteria outlined in the NHS Provider Selection Regime for evaluation of submissions in this process to select a suitable provider. These criteria are: 1. quality and innovation 2. value 3. integration, collaboration and service sustainability 4. improving access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choice 5. social value