10.10.14
Cambridgeshire CCG select preferred bidder for £800m contract
UnitingCare Partnership, an NHS consortium, has been named ‘preferred bidder’ to improve older people’s healthcare and adult community services by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CCG.
The partnership is a consortium of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust with Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
The selection will calm fears that the bidding process could lead to the single largest privatisation of NHS services. When the £800m, five year contract was announced the first bids came from private companies and it caused outrage among unions and campaign groups.
The selection is a key milestone in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CCGs Older People’s Programme for better healthcare for the area’s increasing number of over 65s.
The programme’s aim is to get the best possible services for older people, particularly the elderly and frail, and adults with long term conditions, providing healthcare in more joined-up and innovative ways.
The chief clinical officer for the CCG, Dr Neil Modha, said: “The aim is to have a single Lead Provider responsible for older people’s healthcare services and adult community health services, ensuring that care is more joined up than it has been, with a focus on improving the patient experience.
“The design and procurement process has allowed people from a range of organisations to come together, develop and propose solutions to some of the service problems that have challenged us for many years.”
UnitingCare Partnership was selected after a 15-month service design and procurement process to find a Lead Provider of older people’s healthcare and adult community services, who is able to integrate services, providing more joined-up care for patients.
They will be responsible for Urgent care for providing mental health services and other services for people aged over 65 along with adult community health services for all people over 18. These include; district nursing, rehabilitation and therapy after injury or illness,, speech and language therapy, care for patients with complex wounds and support for people with respiratory disease or diabetes.
UnitingCare Partnership will spend the next six months preparing to start delivering services on the expected start date of 1 April 2015.
Clinical lead for the Older People’s Programme, Dr Arnold Fertig said: “The first task is to ensure there is a smooth transition of services, and to prepare for making the improvements in services and patient experience we all want to see.
“During this time the CCG and the new Lead Provider will work with existing providers of community health services to ensure that patients experience a seamless change from one provider to another.”
In a joint statement Uniting Care Partnership’s Aidan Thomas and Dr Keith McNeil said: “We are delighted that our NHS-led consortium, UnitingCare Partnership, has been appointed preferred bidder for the provision of older people’s healthcare and adult community services.
"We look forward to further discussions with the CCG to reach agreement on a formal contract that will enable us to begin to deliver the vital improvements to care for older people.”
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