Decision details

To seek approval from Members to extend current contract arrangements with Merseycare to allow for review activity to be undertaken.
The contract is due to expire on the 31st March 2014 and it is intended to redesign and procure re-specified services in a measured timeframe.
Currently there are several contracts for substance misuse services which are within the remit for the Substance Misuse review. Establishment Control Panel has recently approved the procurement of external Independent Support for the Substance Misuse Review. The review is essential to fully understanding what services would be required and commissioned for Sefton’s population. It is aimed that the review will be completed by the end of May 2014 and the commissioners would be in a position to reconfigure or re commission the Merseycare contract.

Members will be asked to approve the 12 month contract extension

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Public Health which sought approval to a twelve month contract extension of the existing contract with Merseycare for the delivery of the residential clinical detox and rehabilitation substance misuse service. This would be an extension from the 1April 2014 until 31 March 2015 to the current contract with the same terms and conditions.

Decision Made:

That the Contracts Procedure Rules be waived and a twelve month contract extension be authorised for the existing Merseycare Substance Misuse contract for the delivery of residential detox and rehabilitation.

Reasons for Decision:

This service is required to provide tier 4 residential clinical detox and rehabilitation services. At this time it would be unlikely that this specialist service could be ceased and unavailable to Sefton residents during the review and re commissioning.

It is hoped that following the review and another 12 months of performance monitoring we would be in a position to understand the full cost and outputs for the service and commission them for a reasonable length contract.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

There are no alternative local providers for clinical detoxification; and the nearest in Manchester is even more expensive.