LBN Healthwatch and NHS Complaints Advocacy Service

The London Borough of Newham is awarding contract for the Healthwatch and NHS Complaints Advocacy service. The contract start date will be 1st April 2022 for a 3 year contract. This is notice of contract award. Newham Council has commissioned the Healthwatch and NHS Advocacy Service since 2013. The aim of Local Healthwatch is to give citizens and communities a stronger voice to influence and challenge how health and social care services are provided within their locality. Healthwatch is a statutory service mandated as a result of the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Through its core functions the Healthwatch service supports the achievement of the strategic ambitions of the local health and care system, while operating as an organisation which is independent of these systems. This includes working with local residents to understand and represent their views and experiences of local health and care services. Healthwatch also has a key role in promoting and supporting residents to be actively involved in the commissioning and provision of local services and in in their scrutiny once services are in place. Healthwatch also performs a vital function in considering the standard of health and care provision and working with partners to achieve improvements, Finally, Healthwatch offers advice and information about access to health and care services to enable residents to make informed choices. The key focus of the NHS Complaints Advocacy service is to ensure provision to empower and assist people to use the NHS complaints procedure through the use of appropriately qualified advocates. It is intended that the service will work with partners in health and across the system to ensure a joined up approach to health and care across the borough, with a focus on improving the long term outcomes for service residents. The procurement is being conducted in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The procurement is subject to the light-touch regime under Section 7 Social and Other Specific Services. Under Regulation 76 the Council is free to establish a procedure, provided that procedure is sufficient to ensure compliance with the principles of transparency and equal treatment of economic operators (Suppliers). The contract is for a 3 year service. The tender was evaluated based on 30% Quality, 10% Social Value and 60% Price.