Priory Hospital Ticehurst - Acute Transition Pathway

PSR Urgent Award for the provision of Short term inpatient step down capacity for acute mental health admissions, to include care for patients that no longer require intensive support but still require some clincal interventions in preparation for social care / supporting accommodation in their next phase of treatment. The Trust determined that the award met the urgent circumstances provision under Regulation 14 of the Provider Selection Regime.

At the time of the decision, system‑wide inpatient mental health capacity was under acute and unprecedented pressure, exacerbated by a high number of delayed discharges outside the Trust's control. This resulted in a material and immediate shortfall in available inpatient beds.

The scale and timing of this demand escalation was not reasonably foreseeable and was not attributable to the Trust's actions or decision‑making. Delaying the award in order to undertake a standard PSR process would have been likely to pose a significant risk to patient safety, including the inability to admit patients in acute mental health crisis.

The urgent award was therefore necessary to secure short‑term additional capacity and mitigate immediate safety risks. The Trust has approximately 65 CRFD patients who are delayed discharges and occupying beds that the Trust cannot use as inpatient capacity At the time of the award, the health system was under incredible pressure with emergency departments and inpatient units accross the county under immense pressure and unprecedented demand.

In addition, the Trust was forces to hold crisis patients in the community due to the lack of inpatient beds. The situation was not foreseen to the level of demand being experienced and is outside of the gift of the Trust, it is not attributable to the Trust decision making Delaying the award would pose a risk to patient or public safety, the award will increase bed capacity short term Priory Hospital Ticehurst was selected as it was able to provide immediately available CQC-registered acute mental health inpatient capacity within the required timescales, meeting the Trust's clinical and safety requirements.