Agenda item

Report of the Strategic Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health

Recommendations:-

1.    That approval be given to Option 2 at Section 3.2 in the report and the commencement of a tender on the open market for the procurement of a local Healthwatch Service for the period of 3 years from 1^st April 2020 to 31^st March 2023 (with an option to extend for a further year).

Consideration was given to the report which detailed how the current contract for the provision of a local Healthwatch Service was in place until 31^st March, 2020.  The Service was due to come to the end of the contractual term and the extension clause had been exercised, thus requiring a formal procurement exercise.  The current contract included the provision of the NHS Complaints Advocacy Service (NHSCAS) in addition to the Healthwatch function, both were statutory functions.  A revised service specification and financial terms and conditions were agreed with an expectation that the funding would be allocated on a 65/35 split between the Healthwatch and the NHSCAS functions.  This was in response to the revised budget for the Healthwatch contract agreed by Council in February, 2019.

Under the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules a procurement exercise was, therefore, required to secure both services from April, 2020.  It was intended that the NHSCAS provision would be included in the procurement exercise that was proposed for the Council’s Independent Advocacy Services in 2019 (for provision from April, 2020).  The Healthwatch function would be commissioned as a standalone service. 

This was in line with the majority of other Local Authority approaches and would ensure that the focus of the service covered all aspects of health and social care and captured peoples’ needs, concerns and experiences.

Resolved:-  That Option 2 at Section 3.2 in the report be approved for the commencement of a tender on the open market for the procurement of a local Healthwatch Service for the period of 3 years from 1^st April, 2020 to 31^st March, 2023 (with an option to extend for a further year).