ADULT ADHD Service – Wait List Initiative (WLI) Urgent Award
NHS Essex Integrated Care BoardEstimated Value
Not specified
Deadline
Not specified
Published
4 June 2026
Type
services
Overview
In January of this year, regional colleagues contacted Mid and South Essex ICB (now NHS Essex ICB) to advise of a non-recurrent funding for community schemes to tackle long waiting times. Commissioning leads for BCYP, Community services and Adult Mental Health (MH) were asked to consider how best to utilise the 25/26 funding before Q2 2026/27 after which funding would not be available.
Commissioning leads identified a number priority pathways. • Community Paediatrics (Neuro) across MSE – ASD/ADHD assessments • ASD/ADHD assessment Adults Children and Adults awaiting assessment for ASD and ADHD are subject to significant waiting times for assessment and treatment where applicable. While 52-week waits are significant, commissioning leads wish to transfer the longest waiters on the pathways to accredited providers on the CYP and Adult frameworks who would be better placed to mobilise the additional capacity required on a temporary basis and hold the funding into the new financial year.Independent and NHS providers are aware of this opportunity and are scoping activity to facilitate transfer.
Based on local risks relating to a national issue, and the short notice given to commissioners regarding the release of funding, Mid and South Essex ICB can demonstrate that delaying the award or modification of the contract would adversely impact or pose a risk to patients or the public, or that a new service needs to be mobilised rapidly to meet local or national requirements. In these circumstances, the ICB can rely on Regulations 14(1), 14(2) and 14(3) to enact an urgent award or urgent contract modifications.
Key dates
- Commences
- 23rd March 2026
Additional details
For an urgent award to be valid, all the following conditions must be met: • the award or modification must be made urgently. • the reason for the urgency was not foreseeable by, and is not attributable to, the ICB. • delaying the award to undertake a full application of the regime would likely pose a risk to patient or public safety. The situation described above meets the criteria for an Urgent Award.
The contract as a limited terms of 2 months & 16 days Commencing 23rd March 2026 ending 30th June 2026. The budget allocation is £366,975 and expected number of transfers are 315.
AI Analysis
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NHS Essex ICB is urgently awarding a short-term contract to reduce waiting times for Adult ADHD assessments. They have temporary funding (until June 2026) to transfer around 315 patients from NHS waiting lists to accredited independent or NHS providers who can assess them faster. This is a time-limited initiative lasting just over 2 months, starting 23 March 2026.
Requirements
- Must be an accredited provider on the CYP (Children and Young People) or Adult ADHD/ASD assessment framework
- Must be able to mobilise additional assessment capacity on a temporary basis
- Must be able to accept patient transfers from NHS waiting lists
- Must hold funding into the new financial year (2026/27) if needed
- Independent or NHS providers are eligible
- No specific certifications or qualifications detailed in this notice — check full tender documents for framework accreditation standards
Key Tasks & Deliverables
- Conduct ADHD assessments for approximately 315 adult patients transferred from NHS waiting lists
- Reduce assessment wait times from current 52+ weeks to a shorter timeframe
- Accept and process patient transfers from Mid and South Essex NHS pathways
- Deliver assessments and applicable treatment recommendations between 23 March 2026 and 30 June 2026
- Maintain capacity to carry work forward into 2026/27 financial year if required
How to Read This Tender
- 1This is an 'urgent award' — the ICB is bypassing normal competitive tendering (Regulations 14(1), 14(2), 14(3)). This means they're likely approaching known framework providers directly rather than running a full open tender. Check if you're already on their accredited ADHD/ASD framework; if not, you may not be eligible.
- 2The timescale is extremely tight: only 2 months and 16 days of delivery. The ICB is under time pressure to spend one-off funding before it expires. Providers must be able to scale up quickly — this isn't about sustainable long-term service delivery.
- 3This contract has a fixed patient volume (315 expected transfers) and a fixed budget (£366,975), which works out to roughly £1,160 per patient. Confirm whether this covers assessments only or includes any follow-up treatment.
- 4Look for 'framework' in the tender documents — you likely need to already be accredited on the NHS Essex CYP or Adult ADHD assessment framework. If you're not, contact the ICB to understand how to apply or whether this is a closed procurement.
- 5The duration crosses two financial years (March–June 2026, then potentially into 2026/27). Check whether the £366,975 covers both periods or if additional funding applies after June 2026.
Tips for Small Businesses
- If you're an independent ADHD assessment provider not yet on the framework, contact NHS Essex ICB immediately to ask if you can join or bid. The ICB explicitly mentions independent providers are eligible — this is an opportunity to get on their radar and their framework for future work.
- Consider partnering with an existing framework provider as a subcontractor. If a larger provider wins, they may need additional capacity — you could deliver assessments under their contract and gain NHS credibility.
- Clarify the exact scope: are you assessing only, or providing assessment + treatment? The budget is tight (£1,160 per patient), so confirm what's in/out of scope before bidding. Ask the ICB for the detailed specification or service specification from their framework agreement.
Award Details
Healthcare Central London Limited (HCL)
Likely incumbents
Suppliers who won similar work from this buyer in the last 5 years.
- 1
The Owl Centre
- 2
The Centre for ADHD Research and Excellence T/A Care ADHD
- 3
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT)
2 contracts wonlatest 8 Jun 2026 - 4
Inclusion (Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust) (MPFT)
1 contract wonlatest 3 Jul 2026 - 5
Shropshire Autism Service Ltd T/A The Autism Service
The Owl Centre is the most likely incumbent based on recency and category match. To win, bidders typically need a clearly differentiated proposition or a price advantage.
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Buyer Profile
NHS Essex Integrated Care BoardKey Dates
Published
4 June 2026
Submission deadline
Not specified
Notice type
award
Source
find a tender
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