Further to minute 78 (10 October 2013), the Director of Public Health, Head of Policy and Performance, reported upon the outcome of the procurement process for a Recovery Orientated Substance Misuse Treatment Service for Wirral. Four tenders had been received and evaluated according to the Council’s procurement rules and she indicated that appendix 1 to her report (see minute 57 post) confirmed the detail of the tender evaluation process. As such, it was exempt from the open part of the report, due to it containing commercially sensitive information.

The responsibility for the commissioning of drug and alcohol misuse services was transferred from the NHS to the Council under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and the Director outlined the key essential elements of the service. She commented also that the successful provider would be required to deliver a recovery focused service for drug and alcohol users, including all classifications of drugs, a range of levels of alcohol use, those with poly-substance misuse and those using new psychoactive substances (legal highs) as well as those dependent on prescription and over the counter medicines. The integrated service would be provided to substance misusers with a range of complexities such as poly-drug use, dual dependency, mental health problems, pregnancy and involvement with criminal activity.

Resolved –

(1)  That the outcomes of the procurement exercise be noted.

(2)  That, subject to consideration of the information contained within exempt appendix 1 to the Director’s report, the award of the contract for the Recovery Orientated Substance Misuse Service for 2015 – 2018, be approved, with the option to extend for a further two one-year extensions to the preferred bidder as identified in appendix 1, subject to statutory standstill procedures.