Short-Term Beds External Preferred Provider List (PPL)

Dear Colleagues,

Lancashire County Council (LCC) is undertaking an exercise to re commission the Short-Term Beds External Preferred Provider List (PPL). This service enables individuals who are either in an acute hospital or have experienced an issue at home to have a period of recovery and/or ongoing support in a bed-based setting so they can regain a level of independence and return home.  

The current arrangement has been in place since February 2024 and has an agreed set rate for 2025/26 of £937.78 for Residential Beds and £1028.55 for Dementia Beds per bed per week, this has been subject to annual uplifts as agreed by the Authority's Cabinet.  To maximise an individual's independence and reduce/delay the need for long support the service specification (see attached documents) sets out a 'do with not to' approach as part of that reabling approach.

To date, 112 care home providers from the external market have been working with the Authority to deliver this model and work to the aforementioned agreed service specification to supplement the additional demand required above the capacity of Lancashire's in-house bed-based provision.

The Authority wishes to engage with key stakeholders in relation to some of the key elements of the proposed new service, including changes from the existing provision. We invite providers to attend one of the below sessions where commissioners will provide an overview of the proposed service offer, intended procurement details and approximate timelines.

Date	Time	Location
Tuesday 17 June 2025	09:30 – 11:00	Microsoft Teams
Wednesday 18 June 2025	13:30 – 15:00	Microsoft Teams

To book on one of the sessions please use the following link: Microsoft Teams Booking Link - Short Term Beds External PPL Engagement. Commissioners from the Authority will also be attending the LCC Care Home Provider Forum on 3 July 2025 to provide a final overview of the Short-Term Beds – External PPL Procurement and future model.

Service providers are invited to complete a questionnaire in relation to the current service offer and to give feedback in relation to the current Short Term Beds model. Prompt feedback would be appreciated before the engagement sessions on 17 and 18 June 2025, however the link will stay live until Friday 27 June 2025 for providers to complete the questionnaire.

Short Term Beds External PPL - Questionnaire June 2025

For the avoidance of doubt the proposals set out within this market engagement and engagement sessions are the potential options and are subject to change before the service is procured.

Following the market engagement, LCC may advertise the procurement of Short-Term Beds External PPL within the next three months. Read the full Short Term Residential Bed Based Services Specification pdf here.

Important Information: Potential interested providers should register on the Central Digital Platform:

The Procurement Act 2023 legislated for provision of a central digital platform to facilitate the publishing of required notices and documents in accordance with the new regulations. An enhanced Find a Tender service (FTS) was launched on 24 February 2025, which is the central digital platform for public procurement. It makes it easier to find and bid for contracts, and for buyers to meet their transparency commitments under the Act.

For more information read this 20250224 Act Now Find a Tender Factsheet v3.0 FINAL.