Official UK procurement notice
Talking Therapies · UK public procurement notice
Authority: NHS Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe NHS Talking Therapies service is a community-based service that aims to improve access to evidence-based psychological therapies for common mental health problems. The service offers a variety of evidence-based clinical interventions (including self-help options) including, but not limited to
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Interpersonal Therapy
- Counselling
- Brief Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution Focused Therapies
- EDMR
- Mindfulness
The service has been a key priority for many years as outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan and the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health and continues to be one of the mental health priorities in NHS England 2025/26 Operating Plan.
CPV: Health services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1The NHS Talking Therapies service is a community-based service that aims to improve…Awarded
The NHS Talking Therapies service is a community-based service that aims to improve access to evidence-based psychological therapies for common mental health problems.
The service offers a variety of evidence-based clinical interventions (including self-help options) including, but not limited to
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Interpersonal Therapy
- Counselling
- Brief Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution Focused Therapies
- EDMR
- Mindfulness
The service will be available to all adults over the age of 17 registered with a General Practitioner within Surrey ICBs (with the exception of NE Hampshire & Farnham Place), experiencing mental distress in relation to common mental health problems. This service has been a key priority for many years as outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan and the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health and continues to be one of the mental health priorities in NHS England 2025/26 Operating Plan.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded without competition
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 15 Sept 2025, 15:51 BST
- Last source update
- 15 Sept 2025, 15:51 BST
- Authority reference
Talking Therapies - 1.11.25 - Dorking Healthcare- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-056655- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-059a80Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive
- Published justification
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 and the Procurement Act Regulations 2023 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 the relevant authority by 26 September 2025. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.
Publisher note: The Awarding Authority confirms the provider is delivering the contract to a consistently high standard and no material changes have been made in the continued contracting arrangement. Against the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) Key Criteria, the provider has demonstrated expertise and is anticipated to continue doing so. Evidence of current service delivery against the PSR Key Criteria and the breakdown of Key Criteria weighting in relation to this service for the purposes of awarding a further contract under Direct Award C is detailed below: Quality and innovation 20% Quality • Broad range of evidence-based treatments (1:1 therapy, CBT, EMDR, group sessions, Counselling, Digital CBT) delivered holistically and tailored to individual needs. • Positive patient outcomes demonstrated through improvements in PHQ-2 and GAD-7 scores. • Regular reporting of KPIs at quarterly CRMs with ICB, ensuring accountability and benchmarking against national standards. • Strong performance outcomes: reliable recovery rate of 47.33%, reliable improvement rate of 67%, and 75% of patients starting treatment within six weeks. Innovation • Shared waiting list across Healthy Surrey and Connect to Surrey improves transparency, supports access targets, reduces wait times, and prevents escalation of symptoms. • Flexible delivery model (face-to-face, virtual, blended) tailored to patient circumstances (e.g., work, caregiving, travel), enhancing accessibility and engagement. Integration, collaboration and service sustainability 20% • Talking Therapies provision in Surrey aligns with national priorities and contributes to NHS England assurance targets. • Talking Therapies providers meet quarterly to: o Share knowledge and best practices. o Troubleshoot common issues. o Ensure equitable allocation of trainees across the five providers. • Dorking Healthcare collaborates with IESO to offer text-based therapy modalities where appropriate, ensuring care is tailored to individual needs. • The provider works in partnership with physical health services to deliver Talking Therapies for individuals with long-term conditions. • Shared online waiting list with other Talking Therapies providers is available via Healthy Surrey and Connect to Surrey, enabling individuals to make informed choices about their care. • Talking Therapies providers collaborate with local employment support services, including the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), to help individuals remain in or return to employment. Improving access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choice 30% • Self-referral and clinician/GP-led pathways ensure equitable access across Surrey, helping to reduce health inequalities. • Ongoing demographic reporting supports monitoring and informed decision-making to address disparities. • Providers actively engage with hard-to-reach and underrepresented communities to raise awareness and improve access. • Contractual requirements include provision of translation and interpretation services where needed. • Five talking therapies providers offer a range of service models, enabling individuals to choose care that suits their clinical needs, personal schedules, and work commitments. • A shared online waiting list is available via Healthy Surrey and Connect to Surrey, supporting informed patient choice and transparency. • Diverse service models across the five providers enhance accessibility and patient-centred care. • Dorking Healthcare exceeds national access targets, with 100% of patients seen within six weeks (against a 75% target). • These approaches collectively support patient choice, improve visibility of service options and wait times, and empower individuals to select the most appropriate treatment pathway. Value 20% • Provides a safe, supportive space enabling patients to understand emotions, build coping strategies, and improve overall wellbeing. • Delivers long-term benefits including support for employment retention, fulfilment of parenting roles, development of healthier behaviours, and reduction of physical illness. • Clinical effectiveness is demonstrated through consistent improvements on PHQ and GAD scales, monitored monthly. • Dorking Healthcare meets national targets as demonstrated by a reliable recovery of 48.4% and reliable Improvement of 64.4 %. • Tariff rate is lower than other providers in the South East region, offering strong value for money while maintaining national target delivery. Social value 10% • The service supports individuals to return to or remain in employment, promoting economic participation and personal stability. • Talking Therapies help reduce social isolation and address mental health challenges, including those linked to physical health conditions, anxiety, and depression. • The service promotes meaningful relationships and community engagement, contributing to wider social value. • These outcomes enable individuals to participate more fully in society, both socially and economically. • A wide range of local providers reduces the need for long-distance travel, lowering patient carbon emissions and supporting environmental sustainability. Governance and Decision-Making Approval: Talking Therapies working Group - 11 June 2025 Commissioning, Contracting and Commercial Committee - 15 July 2025 Conflicts of Interest: No conflicts of interest identified. Standstill Period and Regulatory Context: 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 and the Procurement Act Regulations 2023 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 26 September 2025. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR. Written representations should be sent to robert.kitt1@nhs.net
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dorking Healthcare | £4,443,232 † | — | Awarded |
Contracts
Contract 056655-2025-1 · Dorking Healthcare
- Signed
- 15 Sept 2025
- Value
- £4,443,232
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1bids | — | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- NHS Surrey Heartlands ICBReview body
- NHSEMediation body
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Dorking HealthcareAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.