NHS Kent and Medway and NHS Sussex Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) (the Commissioners) are seeking to commission providers who have the capability and capacity to deliver NHS Tier 2 Oral Surgery services in Kent and Medway and Sussex, in line with the specified requirements.
While this procurement exercise is being launched by NHS Kent & Medway ICB and NHS Sussex ICB, bidders should note that, following the planned merger of NHS Sussex ICB and NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB on 1 April 2026, the awarding authority for the resulting contracts will be the newly established NHS Surrey and Sussex ICB.
The ICB also reserves the right, following the formation of NHS Surrey and Sussex ICB, to amend the scope of patient eligibility for IMOS services. This may include extending eligibility to all patients registered with GP practices located within either Surrey or Sussex, and/or individuals resident within the geographic boundaries of Surrey or Sussex. Any such amendments will be made in line with statutory obligations under the PSR and associated guidance, alongside the governance, commissioning policies, and assurance processes of the merged ICB.
The procurement is divided into 9 lots across the Kent and Medway ICB and Sussex ICB areas. Providers may bid for a maximum of 2 Lots.
Oral surgery deals with the diagnosis and management of pathology of the mouth and jaws that requires surgical intervention. It involves the treatment of adolescents and adults, and the management of dentally anxious and medically complex patients. Further information on the services can be found in the Oral Surgery clinical standards:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/oral-surgery-clinical-standard/
The services will provide Level 2 Oral Surgery for patients, either residing in or currently under the care of a General Dental Practitioner (GDP), in Kent & Medway and Sussex.
All Mandatory Dental Services, including simple non-surgical extractions, are excluded from the scope but some services will include Sedation in accordance with the Guidance for Commissioning Sedation for Dental Services in Primary Care 2017.
The aims of the service (with Sedation) are to:
• ensure that equitable, accessible, cost effective, high quality Level 2 Oral Surgery services are available to the public locally
• increase the availability and accessibility of the primary care based Level 2 services to those patients who require sedation to support them to receive a minor oral surgical procedure locally
• release pressures and waiting times for treatment at secondary care centres.
Performers will need to be GDC registered on the appropriate Specialist Register or general dentists that are accredited to provide the services to a Level 2 standard. The accreditation will be through an accreditation panel led by the Managed Clinical Network for Oral Surgery, with the support of NHS England and the ICB. Further information on accreditation can be found in the commissioning guide:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/guidance-for-the-accreditation-of-performers-of-level-2-complexity-care-dec-2018.pdf
Performers must follow the agreed regional accreditation process that commenced from October 2025.
The contract term is planned to commence on 1st April 2027 and will be for a duration of 6 years with an optional extension of 3 years for lots 1 to 4, and 5 years with an optional extension of 2 years for lots 5 to 9.
The maximum total initial contract values (6 years lots 1 - 4, 5 years lots 5 - 9) for each lot are as follows:
Lot 1 Kent and Medway 1 - £7,585,962
Lot 2 Kent and Medway 2 - £3,556,650
Lot 3 Kent and Medway 3 - £7,190,676
Lot 4 Kent and Medway 4 - £11,826,438
Lot 5 Sussex 1 - £3,180,977
Lot 6 Sussex 2 - £4,192,100
Lot 7 Sussex 3 - £2,719,116
Lot 8 Sussex 4 - £3,393,457
Lot 9 Sussex 5 - £1,891,728
TUPE may apply to this procurement.