South London Outreach Services

NHS South East London & NHS South West London Integrated Care Boards are seeking to commission an integrated Immunisation Outreach, Hospital In-Reach and Vaccination Engagement Services across South London for 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2028 with option to extend for a further 12 months to 31 March 2029. The service forms a key part of the South London Vaccination and Immunisation Programme and will support the ambition to protect the health and wellbeing of residents through increasing equitable access to vaccination and preventative healthcare interventions, reducing health inequalities and improving population health outcomes. The service will ensure that all eligible individuals, regardless of age, ethnicity, race, disability, socioeconomic status, pregnancy status, protected characteristic or geographical location, have access to timely, convenient and accessible vaccination opportunities delivered through a range of community and healthcare settings. The Provider will deliver an integrated model of community outreach, hospital in-reach, vaccination engagement and proactive population outreach across the London Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark for SE London and Croydon, Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton & Wandsworth for SW London. Delivery will be tailored to local population need and informed by population health intelligence, vaccination uptake data and identified health inequalities. Services will be delivered through a range of accessible venues, locations, days and times, including community venues, faith and cultural settings, mobile and pop-up clinics, hospitals, inpatient wards, outpatient departments and other settings where eligible individuals can be offered vaccination opportunistically. A key objective of the service is to generate and maintain public trust and confidence through sustained community engagement, culturally competent approaches and partnership working with trusted local organisations and community leaders. The Provider will actively address vaccine hesitancy and misinformation, promote choice and improve confidence in communities known to experience lower uptake. The service will place particular emphasis on identifying, prioritising and reaching vulnerable, underserved and under-vaccinated populations, including Core20PLUS5 populations immunosuppressed individuals, people with complex long-term conditions, ethnically diverse communities, socially excluded groups, pregnant women and other cohorts identified through national and local vaccination priorities. The Provider will establish and operate a dedicated vaccination contact centre to proactively engage patients; support appointment booking and undertake targeted outbound engagement with clinically vulnerable and high-risk groups. This will include proactive outreach to immunosuppressed and severely immunocompromised individuals who may require additional support to access vaccination services. The Provider will work collaboratively as a system partner with NHS Trusts, Primary Care Networks, General Practice, Community Pharmacy, Local Authorities, Public Health teams and Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise organisations to ensure services are accessible, coordinated and responsive to local need. Through community outreach, hospital in-reach and targeted engagement activity, the service will seek to increase vaccination uptake across South London, reduce the incidence and impact of COVID-19 and other vaccine-preventable diseases, minimise avoidable illness, hospital admissions and deaths, and ensure that individuals and communities are protected quickly and effectively. The provider is expected to demonstrate a proven track record in delivering community outreach, hospital in-reach and vaccination contact centre services for a minimum of three years in South London, with prior experience in meeting the key objectives and service requirements as outlined. Annual contract value: £840,000.