VEAT notice for the City of London Healthwatch Services

Concepts

• health and social work
• local care services
• care services
• local services
• local health and care services
• healthwatch england
• the local care services
• how local care services
• health and social care services
• health and care services

Location

London:

Description

This VEAT Notice indicates that the Contracting Authority intends to directly award a Public Services contract under Regulation 32 (1) ( 2) (b) (ii) and (iii) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 for the provision of the City of London Healthwatch Services. The services will be delivered on a 36-month contract with 12 months + 12 months optional extension period. The Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication is being followed and is justified under Regulation 32 (1) (2) (b) (ii) and (iii) . Healthwatch is a statutory service which was established under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to understand the needs, experiences and concerns of people who use health and social care services and to speak out on their behalf. The Contracting Authority has a duty under Section 130 of the Act to have in place a Local Healthwatch organization. Through its core functions the Healthwatch service supports the achievement of the strategic ambitions of the local health and care system, while operating as an organisation that is independent of these systems. This includes working with local residents to understand and represent their views and experiences of local health and care services. Healthwatch also has a key role in promoting and supporting residents to be actively involved in the commissioning and provision of local services and in their scrutiny once services are in place. Healthwatch also performs a vital function in considering the standard of health and care provision and working with partners to achieve improvements, Finally, Healthwatch offers advice and information about access to health and care services to enable residents to make informed choices.

Total Quantity or Scope

Through its core functions the Healthwatch service supports the achievement of the strategic ambitions of the local health and care system, while operating as an organisation that is independent of these systems. This includes working with local residents to understand and represent their views and experiences of local health and care services. Healthwatch also has a key role in promoting and supporting residents to be actively involved in the commissioning and provision of local services and in their scrutiny once services are in place. Healthwatch also performs a vital function in considering the standard of health and care provision and working with partners to achieve improvements, Finally, Healthwatch offers advice and information about access to health and care services to enable residents to make informed choices. The statutory functions are : • Promoting and supporting the involvement of local people in the commissioning, provision and scrutiny of local care services • Enabling local people to monitor the standard of provision of local care services and whether and how local care services could and ought to be improved. • Obtaining the views of local people regarding their needs for, and experiences of, local care services and importantly making these views known. • Making reports and recommendations about how local care services could or ought to be improved within an overall framework that recognises financial constraints. These should be directed to commissioners and providers of care services, and people responsible for managing or scrutinising local care services and shared with Healthwatch England • Providing advice and information about access to local care services so choices can be made about local care services. • Formulating views on the standard of provision and whether and how the local care services could and ought to be improved; and sharing these views with Healthwatch England • Making recommendations to Healthwatch England to advise the Care Quality Commission to conduct special reviews or investigations (or, where the circumstances justify doing so, making such recommendations directly to the CQC); and to make recommendations to Healthwatch England to publish reports about particular issues. • Providing Healthwatch England with the intelligence and insight it needs to enable it to perform effectively. • Make the views and experiences of people known to Healthwatch England, helping us to carry out their role as national champions.

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• 85000000 - Health and social work services
• 85323000 - Community health services

Legal Justification

The Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication is being followed by the Contracting Authority and is justified under the following :- Regulation 32 (1) (2) (b) (ii) (ii) competition is absent for technical reasons • There appears to be an extremely limited market for a Local Healthwatch Service as Healthwatch England, the national body for Healthwatch, have themselves confirmed to the Contracting Authority. Healthwatch England’s research during 2023/4 concluded that the Local Healthwatch network is under significant pressure, and an increased number of local authorities are unable to award contracts because there are no viable Healthwatchs willing to bid for contracts in that area. . • The CEO of Healthwatch England have advised that the previous government had launched a consultation on the NHS Constitution which sets out patient rights as an NHS Patient. The new government is planning to make some changes to the NHS Constitution. . • Any change in a provider of the Local Healthwatch Service will have governance implications for not only the Contracting Authority’s Health & Wellbeing Board, but could also impact on any integrated commissioning arrangements. Regulation 32 (1) (2) (b) (iii) The protection of exclusive rights, including intellectual property rights • The Healthwatch City of London logo is an integral part of the organisation’s visual presentation. The Contracting Authority’s logo and branding must be used in the provision of the Local Healthwatch Service. It is highly likely the Local Healthwatch Service is outside the scope of the Health Care Services [Provider Selection Regime] Regulations 2023. This is also the initial view of Healthwatch England whom the Contracting Authority have consulted with. The Service falls within Schedule 3 [ Social and Other Specific Services] referred to in Regulation 74 [ Public Contracts for Social and Other Specific Services] of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Whilst the anticipated contract value is below the threshold of the Light Touch Regime, it is the Contracting Authority’s intention that the LTR will apply to the direct award. For the purposes of ensuring that, the Contracting Authority’s duty under Section 221 of the Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 ( as amended by the Localism Act 2012) is met ,the Contracting Authority intends to award a new contract via direct award to the Social Enterprise, the current contractor. The Contracting Authority is satisfied there is justification for a direct award. However, the Contracting Authority will observe a 10 calendar day voluntary standstill period from the date of publication of this VEAT Notice during which the Contracting Authority will not enter into any arrangement for the direct award .

Other Information

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