Issue - meetings

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 placed a statutory duty on local authorities to commission a local Healthwatch service and an independent NHS complaints advocacy service from 1 April 2013. This Cabinet report seeks approval to award a single contract following a competitive tender process for the provision of a Healthwatch and NHS Complaints Advocacy Service.

The Council is committed to engaging and involving residents in the planning, design and delivery of services – a strong local Healthwatch and Independent NHS Complaints Advocacy service in Surrey will support the achievement of this.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Health Scrutiny Committee]

That a single contract be awarded to Healthwatch Surrey Community Interest Company (CIC) for the provision of Healthwatch and Independent NHS Complaints Advocacy Service as described in the Part 2 of the submitted report, for a period of three years commencing on 1 April 2015 with the option to extend for a maximum of a further two years.

Reasons for Decisions:

The existing contractual arrangements for the provision of Healthwatch and Independent NHS Complaints Advocacy Service will come to an end on 31 March 2015.

The award of a new contract from 1 April 2015 will ensure that Surrey residents continue to have a strong voice to influence and challenge how health and social care services are provided in Surrey and that the Council complies with its statutory requirements to commission a local Healthwatch and Independent NHS Complaints Advocacy service.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by either the Health Scrutiny Committee]

The Cabinet Member for Public Health and Health & Wellbeing Board introduced the report by stating that the Health and Social Care Act 2012 had placed a statutory duty on local authorities to commission a local Healthwatch service and an independent NHS complaints advocacy service from 1 April 2013.

He informed Members that the report was seeking approval to award a single contract following a competitive tender process for the provision of a Healthwatch and NHS Complaints Advocacy Service and that this service was a valuable and necessary service that he was proud to commission on behalf of the residents of Surrey.

RESOLVED:

That a single contract be awarded to Healthwatch Surrey Community Interest Company (CIC) for the provision of Healthwatch and Independent NHS Complaints Advocacy Service as described in the Part 2 of the submitted report, for a period of three years commencing on 1 April 2015 with the option to extend for a maximum of a further two years.

Reasons for Decisions:

The existing contractual arrangements for the provision of Healthwatch and Independent NHS Complaints Advocacy Service will come to an end on 31 March 2015.

The award of a new contract from 1 April 2015 will ensure that Surrey residents continue to have a strong voice to influence and challenge how health and social care services are provided in Surrey and that the Council complies with its statutory requirements to commission a local Healthwatch and Independent NHS Complaints Advocacy service.