Issue - meetings

This report concerns the procurement of Integrated Community Equipment Services and seeks authority to award the relevant contracts.

Cabinet RESOLVED to:

(1)    Approve the pre-tender considerations set out in paragraph 3.43 of the report.

(2)    Approve the council joining the London Consortium for Community Equipment.

(3)    Approve the appointment of Nottingham Rehab Services Limited (trading as NRS Healthcare) for the supply of community equipment services under a direct award from the single supplier Integrated Community Equipment Service framework for the term specified in (4) below.

(4)    Approve the contract term for the supply of community equipment services to be for an initial two years, up to 31^st July 2025, with the option to extend for a further two years eight months, to 31^st March 2028 and by a further two years to 31^st March 2030, subject to the conclusion of an options appraisal on community equipment services.

(5)    Delegate the option to extend the contract for an additional 2 years eight months to 31^st March 2028 and for a further 2 years to 31^st March 2030 to the Corporate Director for Adult Social Care and Health.

(6)    Approve the Council entering into an agreement pursuant to s75 National Health Service Act 2006 with North West London Integrated Care Partnership to collaborate in the provision of the integrated community equipment services until 31^st March 2030.

Councillor Neil Nerva (Cabinet Member for Public Health and Adult Social Care) introduced a report regarding the procurement of the Integrated Community Equipment Service. In introducing the report, Cabinet was advised of the background and importance of the community equipment service given the way in which the service supported residents to remain as independent as possible for as long as possible and was both a statutory requirement and important in delivering key strategic system priorities, for example hospital discharge and avoidance, reduction in the use of residential care and a reduced reliance on homecare provision with over 600 active prescribing practitioners in Brent using the service on a regular basis.

Recognising the importance in the timely provision of this equipment, Cabinet was advised of the issues experienced with performance of the current Community Equipment contract since it had gone live in July 2021 which had subsequently resulted in the existing provider, Millbrook Healthcare Ltd, withdrawing from the existing contract with effect from the end of July 2023.  As a result, the Council had been considering options to secure a new provider to ensure no gap in service provision. Having outlined the process undertaken (as detailed within section 3 of the report) Cabinet was therefore being asked to consider the direct award of the community equipment contract to Nottingham Rehab Ltd (NRS Healthcare) from the London Community Equipment Consortium Framework. Having noted the operational benefits identified under the proposed new provider in terms of service delivery and the access to existing infrastructure, Cabinet also noted the enhanced service specification developed in response to the previous contract performance issues along with migration of the proposed new service model from a five day/eight hours per day service to a six day/12 hours per day operating model that would operate from the start of the new contract period.  It was noted that the new contractual arrangements would also include a recycling target of 70% in terms of the equipment issued in order to reduce the impact of future equipment price rises and reduce waste alongside a commitment to develop the use of an electric fleet of vehicles and pledge to work with boroughs to implement a range of social value employment and community initiatives with the contract also being subject to the London Living Wage.

In supporting the approach identified, Cabinet welcomed the confirmation provided that the move to the new arrangements would be subject to an initial two year period enabling the completion of a full options appraisal process in relation to future delivery and procurement opportunities alongside the work being undertaken to address the current backlog in provision of equipment with the current provider in advance of the service moving to a new provider.

In thanking officers for their efforts in seeking to resolve the current contractual and performance issues and commending the approach identified to ensure the continuation and improvement in delivery of the community equipment service, Cabinet RESOLVED to:

(1)            Approve the pre-tender considerations set out in paragraph 3.43 of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7