To receive an update on the Procurement of the Older Peoples Programme.
(Mr I Weller and Mr R Murphy, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group will be in attendance for this item).
30 Minutes.
Minutes:
(Mr R Murphy, Interim Local Chief Officer (Huntingdonshire System), and Mr I Weller, Strategic Programme Lead, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group, and Dr D Irwin, GP Mental Health Lead, Hunts Care Partnership, were in attendance for consideration of this item).
Mr I Weller, Strategic Programme Lead for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), delivered an update on the procurement exercise currently being undertaken in relation to the Older Peoples Programme. He reported that an open competitive tendering process for a range of acute hospital unplanned care, community services, primary care, voluntary sector grants, older people’s mental health services and end of life care had been launched in July 2013. Ten providers had been invited to submit outline solutions in August 2013, and five now were taking part in the current stage of the procurement process. Bids had been invited for the whole contract and for smaller defined geographical areas.
A process of evaluation was currently taking place to review the outline submissions received with a view to short listing the bidders down to three providers. These would be invited to submit final solutions, which would be assessed to determine who would be awarded the contract. It was hoped that an announcement would be made in April/May 2014. A twelve week public consultation would then be launched, with the mobilisation phase commencing in late summer/early autumn. The contract would last for five years, with an option to extend it to seven years. Representatives of the CCG acknowledged that the timescales were tight, particularly given that staff would have to transfer across to the new provider.
In response to a question by the Chairman whether any elected Members would be involved in the procurement process, Mr I Weller reported that such provision had not been made but that local authority Officers from both the County and District Councils were assisting with the evaluation phase of the procurement process. Nevertheless, the view was expressed that Members acted as advocates for the public and their involvement would instil in them trust and confidence in the process. Given that bids could be submitted for various combinations of areas, it was suggested that there should be some local Member involvement, especially if the process resulted in arrangements for the Huntingdonshire area that were different from the others.
Following a question about the quality of the services to be provided, Mr I Weller confirmed that the outcomes framework contained a number of quality indicators, which had been based on NHS quality standards. He also advised that the Prospectus for the procurement would shortly be released for publication, with quality appearing as key criteria in determining who would be awarded the contract. Having been advised that the outcomes framework had been tested by a number of interested stakeholders, which included patient user groups, comment was made on the absence of these groups during the evaluation phase of the procurement process. The view was expressed that these individuals would be able to contribute to the evaluation of service delivery.
The Panel echoed the concerns of the Cambridgeshire Adults, Well-Being and Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee over the timetable for the mobilisation of the contract. In response, it was reported that it was likely that the current timescales would change.
Other matters that were discussed included the need to ensure that the successful bidder would meet local needs, the opportunity that existed to transform primary care services and the added social value that the procurement would bring to the community whilst being mindful of the voluntary sector’s role in the tendering process.
At the conclusion of discussions, the Chairman thanked the representatives of the Clinical Commissioning Group for their attendance at the meeting.