Provision of In-patient Stroke Rehabilitation services

Award of provision of Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation services, commencing

1st October 25 for the period of 6 Months; until the 31st March 2026.

This notice is to support a retrospective award for the provision of Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation services to commence for a six (6) month period; until 31st March 2026. The provision will then be stood down, with no further extensions possible, the requirement is just for short term capacity.

The PSR 'Most Suitable Provider Award' process has been applied to support the provisional award.

The service selected will provide both clinical and corporate service support and oversight including appropriate skilled and trained workforce to deliver 24/7 Nursing care, intensive Stroke Therapy (7 days a week) and medical cover (Monday – Friday).

The provision is for a minimum of 11 inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation beds with an expected average length of stay of 4 weeks (+/- 2 weeks). The facility is selected is equipped to meet the needs of patients requiring Stroke rehabilitation, including access to gym and facilities which support rehabilitation of activities of daily living.

It is expected that the people will have access to the full range of specialist Stroke rehabilitation including:

• Physiotherapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Dietetics
• Psychology

The service selected will operate in line with National clinical guidelines recommendations offering people to participate in at least 45 minutes of each appropriate therapy every day, at a frequency that enables them to meet their rehabilitation goals, and for as long as they are willing and capable of participating and showing measurable benefit from treatment.

DGFT Consultants will continue to maintain specialist clinical oversight of the services in use.

The selected provider shall maintain the Sentinel Stroke National Audit.

PSR Option C – Most Suitable Provider Assessment Undertaken

1. Quality and Safety The selected provider is a local NHS Trust with an established track record of delivering comparable NHS services to the required clinical standards. The Trust employs a substantive workforce with appropriate clinical and technical expertise, supported by experienced clinical leadership and established governance and assurance arrangements.

The Trust is known to have the ability to deliver the service safely and effectively from contract commencement, without reliance on untested delivery models or disproportionate use of temporary staffing. Importantly, the Trust is the only known local provider with existing clinical capacity and workforce capability which could be utilised at pace, providing assurance that patient safety and service continuity can be maintained without transitional risk.

2. Value Value has been considered in the round, including quality, deliverability, continuity, and system benefit, rather than cost alone. Awarding the contract to the selected NHS Trust avoids the need for extensive mobilisation, recruitment, or duplication of infrastructure that would be required with alternative providers. The Trust’s existing operational readiness and immediately deployable capacity represent efficient use of NHS resources and provide confidence that the service can be delivered at pace, representing good value for money while maintaining required quality standards.

3. Integration, Collaboration, and Sustainability A key factor in determining suitability is the existing collaborative working arrangements between the relevant authority and the selected provider. The Trust is already part of a collaborative Trust groups model, through which organisations work together to support service delivery, resilience, and mutual aid across the local health system. This established collaboration enables rapid operational alignment and supports sustainable delivery. The Trust is the only known local NHS provider within this collaborative model that has the relevant capacity available to support the service at the required timescale, further reinforcing its suitability under PSR Option C.

4. Access, Health Inequalities, and Choice The selected provider operates within a relevant local geography, ensuring the service is accessible to the population served by the authority. The Trust already supports established access, referral, and escalation pathways across the local health economy, which are embedded and well understood by clinicians and system partners. The ability to utilise existing local provision with available capacity at pace ensures that access to services can be maintained without disruption, supporting timely care and reducing the risk of inequalities arising from delays, service gaps, or unfamiliar referral routes.

5. Social Value Awarding the contract to a local NHS Trust supports retention of services within the NHS and contributes to wider system objectives, including workforce stability, resilience, and collaborative service delivery. The Trust’s position as the only known local provider with immediately usable capacity enables it to support system sustainability, local employment, training, and long‑term service resilience aligned with NHS priorities.