NHS Devon and NHS Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Boards Mandatory Dental Services, Urgent Care & Stabilisation

NHS Devon and NHS Cornwall & Isles of Scilly (IOS) Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are seeking providers who have the capability and capacity to deliver Mandatory Dental Services (MDS), Urgent Care and Stabilisation across Devon and Cornwall & IOS.

The procurement is divided into the following Lots:

Lot 1 - Plymouth South & West: (54,000 UDAs)

Lot 2 - Torquay & Paignton: (33,000 UDAs)

Lot 3 - Barnstaple, Bideford & Ilfracombe: (22,000 UDAs)

Lot 4 - Barnstaple, Exeter, Torbay & Plymouth: Out of Hours (OOH) (5,222 appointments)

Lot 5 - Central Cornwall: Truro (18,000 UDAs)

Lot 6 - Central Cornwall: Newquay (18,000 UDAs)

Lot 7 - West Cornwall (18,000 UDAs)

Lot 8 - North & East Cornwall (18,000 UDAs)

Bidders can bid for any combination of Lots and don't have to bid for the full UDA value. More information on this and how Lots could be awarded to multiple providers is included in Part C Bid Evaluation of the Invitation to Tender instructions.

The aims of this procurement are:

• To improve oral and general health by increasing access to NHS dental services.

• To ensure equity and consistency of provision, with a focus on vulnerable adults, children, and patients with additional needs (including bariatric access up to 227kg).

• To reduce inequalities in access to dental care through targeted services for high-need populations.

• To meet the national mandate for urgent dental care by ensuring patients have timely, compassionate access, including via NHS 111 and dental helplines, both within and outside working hours.

• To provide equitable, accessible, cost-effective stabilisation services to reduce repeat urgent care attendances and support patients without access to a routine NHS dentist.

• To ensure urgent care services are patient-centred, prioritising those in pain or with clinical need, and delivering care in the right place at the right time.

• To refer patients to other NHS services as appropriate, in line with local protocols and guidance.

• To promote overall health and wellbeing in line with Making Every Contact Count.

The Contracts will be for an initial term of 7 years with an option to extend for a further 2 years at the sole discretion of the Commissioner.

The UDA rate for this procurement will be £40 and the maximum annual contract values are as follows:

Lot 1 - Plymouth South & West: £2,160,000

Lot 2 - Torquay & Paignton: £1,320,000

Lot 3 - Barnstaple, Bideford & Ilfracombe: £880,000

Lot 4 - Barnstaple, Exeter, Torbay & Plymouth - Out of Hours: £657,972

Lot 5 - Central Cornwall - Truro: £720,000

Lot 6 - Central Cornwall - Newquay: £720,000

Lot 7 - West Cornwall (exact locations to be confirmed): £720,000

Lot 8 - North & East Cornwall (exact locations to be confirmed): £720,000

The Commissioner will be contracting for the services using the Standard clauses for a Personal Dental Services (PDS) agreement. Successful providers have the right to request a conversion from Personal Dental Services (PDS) to General Dental Services (GDS) contract after 3 years of the initial contract term.

Interested parties who wish to take part in the procurement are invited to take part in an Invitation to Tender (ITT) process, based on the competitive (open) procedure and designed to identify the most economically advantageous tender and therefore determine the incoming provider.

All ITT responses must be returned by 12 noon on 28th October 2025, at the latest.

This exercise is being carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioner.