Issue - meetings

The Council has a statutory duty to commission a local Healthwatch service for the Borough.  Local Healthwatch is the local consumer champion on health and social care services.  It delivers a range of key functions to promote and support the involvement of people in the commissioning and provision of local care services in Brent.  This report concerns commissioning arrangements for Local Healthwatch as set out in part 5 of the Health and Social Care Act. The current Local Healthwatch contract is due to expire on 31 March 2015.  This report outlines the Council’s statutory responsibilities and the business need to meet the statutory requirement in 2015/16.

(i)         that approval be given to the invite of tenders for a Local Healthwatch service contract on the basis of the pre - tender considerations set out in paragraph 3.7 of the report;

(ii)        that the new contract be let for a term of one year with the option to extend for a further 12 months;

(iii)       that approval be given to the evaluation of the tenders referred to in (i) above on the basis of the evaluation criteria set out in paragraph 3.7 of the report;

(iv)       that approval be given to an exemption from the usual tendering requirements of Contract Standing Orders and the approval of the direct award of an interim contract to the current provider, Healthwatch Brent, for a three month period from 1 April 2015 for the operational reasons set out in paragraph 3.8. of the report.

The Cabinet considered the report from the Chief Executive which concerned commissioning arrangements for Local Healthwatch as set out in part 5 of the Health and Social Care Act. The current Local Healthwatch contract was due to expire on 31 March 2015 and the report outlined the Council’s statutory responsibilities and the business need to meet the statutory requirement in 2015/16.  The report requested approval to invite tenders in respect of the Local Healthwatch contract as required by Contract Standing Orders 88 and 89.

Councillor Pavey (Deputy Leader of the Council) introduced the report in his capacity as Chair of the Health and Well Being Board and stressed the importance of Healthwatch as a strong independent voice. The intention was to put in place an interim contract to ensure continued provision of a Local Healthwatch service whilst the procurement process for a new contract was being undertaken by the council. Attention was drawn to the new criteria against which tenders would evaluated which Councillor Pavey stated were designed to attract the best organisations.

RESOLVED:

(i)         that approval be given to the invite of tenders for a Local Healthwatch service contract on the basis of the pre-tender considerations set out in paragraph 3.7 of the report from the Chief Executive;

(ii)        that the new contract be let for a term of one year with the option to extend for a further 12 months;

(iii)       that approval be given to the evaluation of the tenders referred to in (i) above on the basis of the evaluation criteria set out in paragraph 3.7 of the report;

(iv)       that approval be given to an exemption from the usual tendering requirements of Contract Standing Orders and the approval of the direct award of an interim contract to the current provider, Healthwatch Brent, for a three month period from 1 April 2015 for the operational reasons set out in paragraph 3.8. of the report.