Market Engagement Workshop: Special Care Adult Dentistry and Paediatric Dentistry services

This notice is placed in order to facilitate early engagement with potential providers, and relates only to a pre-procurement market engagement workshop. NHS England South West are seeking to re-commission Special Care Adult Dentistry and Paediatric Dentistry services (currently known as Community Dental Services) in the South West of England (Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, Devon, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Bath and North East Somerset, and Swindon) and will be holding a procurement process to award new contracts to provide these services from April 2021.

The route to market for the various service elements and geographies is still being determined but, as a guide the procurement(s) are anticipated to commence from Spring 2020. NHS England anticipates contracting for services under Personal Dental Services agreements.

This procurement is being carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioners. Prospective bidders are warmly invited to pre-procurement market engagement workshops being hosted by NHS England on the following dates:- Wednesday 4th December 2019 in Exeter* 10:00 - 13:00 Friday 6th December 2019 in Bristol* 10:00 - 13:00 *We are in the process of finalising venues for events and will advise you of these when you have registered.

Events will be identical, therefore attendance is only required at 1 however you may attend both if you wish. The aims for Special Care Adult Dentistry and Paediatric Dentistry service provision are to: • Ensure access to dental care for children and patients with additional needs unable to receive care or treatment in a primary care setting due to their enhanced management needs • Provide care and treatment to children and those with additional needs in line with the evidence base and best practice to achieve clinically effective outcomes for patients • Contribute to the improvement of oral and general health and reduction in health inequalities of the local population with a focus on prevention both via service delivery and partnership working with a range of health care providers and other key stakeholders • Work in partnership with the wider dental system to facilitate access to early intervention for treatment to prevent the need for treatment at more advanced stage of disease We would welcome attendance from those organisations or individuals who may be interested in bidding for these services, either in their own right or as a subcontractor, to assist the Commissioners to achieve a better understanding of the provider market.

It will be an opportunity to meet with the Commissioners and stakeholders, hear more about Special Care Adult Dentistry and Paediatric Dentistry services (currently known as Community Dental Services) in the region and discuss the critical issues, challenges and opportunities that relate to future commissioning and provision of these services. Venue details and further information will be provided to interested parties on receipt of their completed registration.

This notice is an information gathering exercise rather than a call for competition in its own right, and therefore publication or response does not commit NHS England or respondents to a future procurement, nor provide any process exemptions or preferential treatment to any parties expressing an interest. Commissioners are looking to establish what interest there might be in providing such a service from suitably qualified, capable and competent organisations.

NHS England will not be liable for costs incurred by any interested party in participating in this exercise. Interested parties should note that a response to this notice does not guarantee an automatic invitation to any subsequent formal procurement, which the commissioners will consider in due course.