II.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS code:

UKG21

UKG22

Main site or place of performance:

County of Shropshire - NUTS Codes UKG22 & UKG21

II.2.4) Description of the procurement

This is an advertisement for market testing to gauge market interest which will influence future commissioning and procurement direction, and to enable market input into the service specification. This advertisement is issued under the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) of the Healthcare Services Regulations 2023. Shropshire Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board ICB (STW ICB) has not decided at this point whether a procurement will be undertaken or which PSR process best applies.

NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB are seeking expressions of interest for the delivery of a Community Pain Service. This service will provide a community-based, digitally enabled, multi-disciplinary team led model of care for adults aged 16+ living with persistent diagnosed pain that is recurrent, secondary, or chronic primary pain of 3 months or longer duration. The aim is to help people "live well with pain" through proactive, preventative support that reduces opioid reliance, improves function and wellbeing, ensures equality of access and relieves pressure on urgent and elective care.

Key features of the service:

• Medicines management: led by a prescribing pharmacist and pharmacy technician, focusing on medicines optimisation, safe deprescribing, education, and partnership working with primary and secondary care.

• Pain support advice: delivering Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)-informed coaching, motivational interviewing and co-produced pain support plans.

• Mental health advice: providing mental health support, with referral pathways to Talking Therapies and community mental health services.

• Physiotherapy: supporting movement-based interventions and contributing to MDT decision-making.

• Occupational therapy: supporting patients undergoing opioid deprescribing, with a focus on managing complex biopsychosocial withdrawal effects. To include vocational rehabilitation support to enable patients to remain in work or return to employment, working closely with local employment, education and work related support programmes.

• Integration with Tier 3 Pain Service specialists including through MDTs: including General Practitioners (GPs), pharmacists, physiotherapists, and pain specialists to ensure integrated, safe, and person-centred care.

• Community partnerships: working with leisure centres, voluntary sector, and councils to link to local movement and wellbeing sessions.

• Digital access: Through the MyRecovery (STW's health support application) and a dedicated service website offering multilingual content, recorded sessions, and self-referral options.

• Population health focus: using population health management (PHM) data to target high-need areas and underserved groups, aligned with Core20PLUS5 and other STW ICB priorities.

• Flexible delivery across STW, with face-to-face, digital, and group options, and accessible via professional and self-referral routes.

The service will deliver direct provision on weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm as a minimum, plus locally determined extended hours to include evenings and weekends. The advice line must operate on weekdays from 8 am until 6 pm as a minimum plus locally determined extended hours to include evenings and weekends. The expected operating hours of the single point of access will include weekdays from 9 am until 5 pm as a minimum. There will be evening and weekend group sessions available. Mechanisms must be in place to communicate and redirect people out of hours and on bank holidays to appropriate crisis or other urgent care as needed. This could include digital and telephone options.

The service will prioritise equitable access for high-need cohorts (Core20PLUS5, long term conditions, mental health, opioid users). Referrals will be accepted via eRS, self-referral, and community connectors. Outcomes will include reduced opioid prescribing, improved patient activation, and fewer avoidable urgent care attendances.

Important Note:

This service is for individuals who already have a confirmed medical diagnosis of persistent, recurrent, secondary, or chronic primary pain. The service does not provide diagnostic assessments.

It is anticipated that any future contract may be for a period of 3-years with the option to extend for up to a further 24-month period, with an estimated value of £1,158,822 per annum including VAT (total potential contract value £5,794,110.00). NHS Standard Contract Terms and Conditions shall apply. It is anticipated that the Contract will commence from 1st April 2027.

Any Provider wishing to express an interest in the delivery of Community Pain Services for the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin (STW) area should register their interest and complete the questionnaire on the Atamis Health Family eCommercial System at https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome, Atamis reference C426009, no later than 16:00 hours on 07/04/2026.

STW ICB is only seeking expressions of interest from providers who are attracted to this potential opportunity and capable of providing this service. Please only express an interest if you have the relevant authority to do so on behalf of your organisation.

The ICB reserves the right not only to change/amend its approach but also reserves the right not to proceed with a procurement and is not bound to follow through on any expression of interest received.

Please note those organisations that have expressed an interest will still be required to register separately for any future procurement and should not rely on their response to this expression of interest. Interested parties will not be prejudiced by any response or failure to respond to this notice. Nor shall a response to this Market Engagement Notice guarantee an invitation to participate in any future procurement process.