Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
729 The Ridge
St Leonards on Sea
TN37 7PT
Contact
Procurement
Telephone
+44 3001314500
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKJ2 - Surrey, East and West Sussex
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Health
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Patient Discharge Bridging Service
Reference number
ES/25/1475
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85141210 - Home medical treatment services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice.
A Patient Discharge Bridging Service for ESHT. The service supports patients who are medically optimised for discharge and do not meet the criteria to remain in hospital, but whose long-term local authority care package is not yet in place.
The aim of the supply of care service is to enable timely, safe discharge from hospital, reduce unnecessary delays, improve patient flow, and ensure continuity of care until statutory services assume responsibility. Working collaboratively with ESHT, Local Authorities, and community partners to ensure safe handover and continuity of care and ensuring our teams are integrated into the ESHT teams to ensure that happens.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £4,000,000
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKJ2 - Surrey, East and West Sussex
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Service summary:
• Provide same-day or within-24-hour home-based support to enable timely and safe discharge from hospital.
• Deliver personal care and daily living support to eligible patients until their care is formally handed over to Adult Social Care.
• Operate under clear inclusion and exclusion criteria, supported by daily triage, robust governance oversight, and alignment with the MDT.
• Supply the required workforce, management structure, digital care-notes platform, reporting systems, and quality governance needed to safely deliver bridging care at a rolling capacity, trained to required CQC and NHS standards
• Source Care Teams from outside the local area to avoid placing additional pressure on local services.
• Work collaboratively with the Trust, local authorities, and community partners to ensure safe transitions and continuous monitoring of patient outcomes.
• Take responsibility for operational delivery, care coordination, risk management, data-sharing compliance, and performance reporting against KPIs, including discharge timeliness, length of stay, safe handover, and patient experience.
• Complete assessments for patients who are medically ready to be discharged upon arrival at home and prepare the referral for their ongoing pathway, in partnership with ESHT teams and appropriately Trained Assessors.
• The service Minerva provides to ESHT has a Rolling Care Capacity adjusted depending on the size of the service and patient numbers
This is a a established service, which has been stood up and down with Minerva serveral times since 2022. The intention is to award under the most suitable provider process. The maximum contract value including extensions is £4,000,000. The contract is nil comitment and services can be stood down up and down with 1 weeks notice.
Contract commencement - January 2026 - initial term 24 months, with option of a further 12 months.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality and Innovation / Weighting: 20%
Quality criterion - Name: Integration, Collaboration & Sustainability / Weighting: 20%
Quality criterion - Name: Improving Access, reducing health inequalities& Sustainability / Weighting: 20%
Quality criterion - Name: Social value / Weighting: 20%
Cost criterion - Name: Value / Weighting: 20%
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
two.2.14) Additional information
The service was awarded equally across the five key criteria below (20%) each, as the Service felt each of the criteria require required equal consideration
Social Value was given 20% weighting as the relevant authority felt it was important to give some priority to social and environmental well-being.
Quality & Innovation was weighted 20%, as the Authority wanted to ensure consideration was given to the requirements of the service, along with previous experience of innovation and quality improvement
Value was weighted 20%, as the Authority felt it important to balance the cost of the service against the patient pathway and improved health outcomes
Integration, collaboration & service sustainability was weighted at 20%, as the Authority must ensure the service model and service delivery are sustainable.
Improving access and reducing health inequalities was weighted at 20% as it is important this service supports safe discharge of patients and implement patient specific packages of care.
Award Decision Makers:
Claire Lockwood - Service Manager
Katy Lyne - Deputy Director of Operations
Abigail Turner - Deputy Chief Operating Officer Community
No conflicts of interest declared
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations
Explanation:
‘This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be made to decision makers by 19th January 2026 at midday. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR'.
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
Section five. Award of contract
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
7 January 2026
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
MINERVA NURSING LTD
2 Station Road West
Oxted
RH8 9EP
Telephone
+44 2039592000
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKJ - South East (England)
National registration number
08770382
Internet address
The contractor is an SME
Yes
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £4,000,000
Lowest offer: £4,000,000 / Highest offer: £4,000,000 taken into consideration
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
ESHT
District General Hospital
Eastbourne
Bn21 2ud
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution
70 Fleet Street
London
EC4Y 1EU
Country
United Kingdom