A report by the Acting Director of Health and Wellbeing is attached.

The Acting Director for Health and Wellbeing presented a report seeking the Joint Strategic Commissioning Board’s agreement to progress the proposed commissioning intentions for public health services for the period 2019-2010. The proposal set out in the report linked to the delivery of the Wirral 2020 Plan and the statutory responsibilities of the Council in respect of its public health functions. The Joint Strategic Commissioning Board noted that the proposed actions affected all wards within the borough and the decisions requested were key decisions. Appended to the report at Appendix 1 were the Public Health Contracts by Provider 2019/20 (including Commissioning Intentions).

The proposed commissioning intentions for public health services in 2019/20 were summarised in a Table in the report as follows:

  Summary of Commissioning Plans 2019/20

The Joint Strategic Commissioning Board noted that there were sixteen contracts (with a value of £5,100,833) which would not be subject to any change during 2019/20. This was because the contracts were in term or were being extended for a further year. All extensions complied with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules and were allowed as part of the contractual terms and conditions. The service specification for these contracts would be reviewed and renegotiated with providers as part of the 2019/20 contract negotiations and any changes to the specifications e.g. performance metrics, were designed to ensure that contracts reflected the Board’s commissioning intentions and maximised performance in terms of outcomes and value for money.

It was reported that several contracts would be retendered during the 2019/2020 financial year and it was anticipated that the new contracts would be operational by April 2020. Contracts would also need to deliver social value outcomes.  Current contracts for these services would continue during the re-commissioning process so that there was no loss of service to local people. Services to be recommissioned during 2019/2020 were as follows:

·  Integrated Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services

·  The Healthy Child Programme 0-19

·  The Community Connectors Programme

·  Weight Management Services

It was noted that it was necessary to recommission these services to comply with the Public Contract Regulations and the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules. The value of the proposed contracts would be above the relevant European Union threshold and the supplier selection process would be conducted in accordance with The Public Contract Regulations 2015 and the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules.

The Joint Strategic Commissioning Board noted that services to be retendered, the proposed contract length and the maximum budget allocation were as follows:

Services to be retendered in 2019/20

The differences in contract duration were noted and it was reported that the more established programmes because of their value needed a decent contract length.  The workload was being managed and this may need to be given consideration at a future date.

Reference was made to the Drug and Alcohol Contract.  Members were aware that there was a significant problem with alcohol dependency and related ill health and it was considered that going forward it would be important to get more people to engage with these services.

The Joint Strategic Commissioning Board noted that the specifications for the retendered services would be based on local insight and engagement with local people and stakeholders, identified need as referenced by the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and evidence-based practice. This would provide an opportunity to reconsider the funding and delivery model, enabling the release of cost savings and the refocussing of service delivery considering current developments and the healthcare needs of service users.

Also, there were four contracts to be evaluated and reviewed during 2019/20 with a value of £206,166.  The outcomes of the review and evaluation would determine future commissioning intentions. (Appendix 1 to the report refers.)

The Joint Strategic Commissioning Board’s attention was drawn to the comprehensive engagement via four consultation exercises being planned to inform the recommissioning of services set out in the report to ensure that local services were joined up and that the recommissioning would maximise outcomes for local people.

The Joint Strategic Commissioning board considered the financial implications noting that there was currently allocated funding for the services highlighted in the report.  The value and availability of the Public Health grant for 2020 onwards was not yet known.  The tendering exercises highlighted would provide the opportunity for more integrated and cost-effective models to be developed. However, there was a key risk, in terms of the Public Health grant and the Joint Strategic Commissioning Board would need to understand it and consider whether there would be a need to pool resources to keep services working.

Members were informed that the CCG would highlight the challenges around the budget, in the light of the frustration caused by the uncertainty post March 2020. This was a problem that all CCGs were facing so it was worth taking it up in force and it was agreed that this view would be feed back to the Health and Care Partnership. There was a whole range of key partners and GPs would be critical to engage with because of the issues this presented to front line staff.

It was reported that the NHS Wirral CCG Members were in support of the following recommendations: That

(1)  the recommissioning of the following contracts:

(a)  the provision and delivery of an integrated drug and alcohol treatment service for an initial five-year contract term (2020-25) with the option of two further one-year extensions at a maximum budget of £42,000,000 (£6,000,000 per annum);

(b)  the provision and delivery of the Healthy Child Programme for an initial five-year contract term (2020-25) with the option of two further one-year extensions at a maximum budget of £47,206,131 (£6,743,733 per annum);

(c)   the provision and delivery of a Community Connectors Programme for an initial three-year contract term (2020-23) with the option of two further one-year extensions at a maximum budget of £2,310,000 (£462,000 per annum); and

(d)  the provision and delivery of tier two weight management services for a three-year contract term (2019-22) at a maximum budget of £600,000 (£200,000 per annum).

(2)   to receive a report in the autumn of 2019 on the outcomes of the re-commissioning process to authorise the award of contracts following the tender evaluation process); and

(3)  the Schedule of Commissioning and Contracting activities for Public Health Services in 2019-20 as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

Wirral Borough Council’s two Cabinet Members, sitting as a Committee of the Cabinet

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the recommissioning of the following contracts be agreed:

(a)  the provision and delivery of an integrated drug and alcohol treatment service for an initial five-year contract term (2020-25) with the option of two further one-year extensions at a maximum budget of £42,000,000 (£6,000,000 per annum);

(b)  the provision and delivery of the Healthy Child Programme for an initial five-year contract term (2020-25) with the option of two further one-year extensions at a maximum budget of £47,206,131 (£6,743,733 per annum);

(c)   the provision and delivery of a Community Connectors Programme for an initial three-year contract term (2020-23) with the option of two further one-year extensions at a maximum budget of £2,310,000 (£462,000 per annum); and

(d)  the provision and delivery of tier two weight management services for a three-year contract term (2019-22) at a maximum budget of £600,000 (£200,000 per annum).

(2)   a report on the outcomes of the re-commissioning process to authorise the award of contracts following the tender evaluation process be presented to the Joint Strategic Commissioning Board for consideration at a meeting in the autumn (2019);

(3)  the Schedule of Commissioning and Contracted activities for Public Health Services in 2019-20 as set out in Appendix 1 to the report be agreed.