Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Public Health

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Public Health seeking approval to:

·       undertake a Direct Award under Process C of the Health Care Services Provider Selection Regime (PSR) 2023, including publication of a notice to make an award to the existing provider (as set out in schedule 3 PSR 2023) to Mersey Care NHS Trust to provide community infection prevention and control services from the 1September 2024 for a core period of 3 years with the option to extend (subject to satisfactory on-going performance) for a further 2 X 1-year periods.

·       grant delegated authority for the Director of Public Health in consultation with the Cabinet Member - Health and Wellbeing, to authorise and execute extensions to the contract within the terms of the Direct Award.

An Equality Analysis Report - Sefton Community Infection, Prevention and Control Service 2024 was attached to the report as an appendix.

Reference was made to key criteria for assessing provider eligibility and for meeting social value in particular. Additional information could be obtained.

Decisions Made:

That the Director of Public Health, in conjunction with the Cabinet Member - Health and Wellbeing, be authorised to:

(1)      make a Direct Award to Mersey Care NHS Trust from 1 September 2024 for the provision of community infection prevention and control services under Process C of the provider selection process; and

(2)      exercise any extension options within the terms of the Direct Award.

Reasons for the Decisions:

1. The current contracts would expire on 31 August 2024.

2. The existing provider of services, Mersey Care NHS Trust, was satisfying the original contract and was likely to satisfy the proposed new contract meeting the selection criteria for Direct Award Process C.

3. Assurance of satisfactory performance was evidenced against the five key criteria for assessing provider eligibility under Direct Award Process C:

·       Value

·       Integration, collaboration, and service sustainability

·       Improving Access, reducing health inequalities, and facilitating choice

·       Social Value

Having determined through written confirmation that Mersey Care NHS Trust wished to continue to provide services under the conditions outlined in the current service specification, officers assessed and evaluated the above key criteria using an agreed set of service specific quality and performance questions and Sefton Council’s outline for meeting social value as set out in the PSR Process C guidance.

Scores were compared and moderated. All scores reached satisfactory or above outcomes with all five assessed areas achieving a pass score of 3 or above.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

1)    Direct Award Process A – while the service required highly specialist trained staff limiting the number of providers able to provide the required services, the Council did not consider the existing provider to be the only capable provider and the Council was not concluding a framework agreement. Therefore, Direct Award Process A was not appropriate.

2)    Direct Award Process B – this service provided specialist and technical assurance to the local authority on infection, prevention and control standards and safety measures relating a number of commissioned health and social  ...  view the full minutes text for item 138