The current Healthwatch contract will expire on the 30 September 2020, therefore approval is required to go out to tender to procure a Healthwatch service for Herefordshire.

This is a statutory service and a requirement under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, the council must ensure an independent Healthwatch service is available. The service can only be provided by the voluntary sector, independent of the council and partner organisation.

That:

(a)       the current healthwatch contract is re-procured through an open competitive tender and awarded to commence from 1 October 2020 for up to seven years with an approx. value of £980k subject to annual inflation.

(b)       delegated authority is given to the Director to take all operational decision necessary to implement the reprocurement and award of contract.

1.            To award a shorter contract. This is not recommended as a shorter contract would not offer the long term stability needed to encourage the successful bidder to make the strategic investment in staffing and resources that would to enable the effective delivery of this statutory service.

2.         To directly award a contract through an annual Grant in Aid award used by a minority of local authorities. This is not recommended as with the alternative suggested above, the short term nature of this type of award would not encourage any long term planning by the successful bidder. Such an award could also be open to challenge as it could be seen as giving preferential treatment to a single bidder.