Issue - items at meetings - Care Home/Nursing Home Prior Information Notice

Report of the Executive Director, Health and Adult Social Care (copy attached)

RESOLVED – (1) That the Sub Committee grant delegated authority to the Executive Director of Health and Adult Social Care to issue a Prior Information Notice to seek expression of interest from providers interested in entering into block contract arrangements for residential and nursing care beds; and

(2) That the Sub Committee grant delegated authority to they Executive Director of Health and Adult Social Care to procure and award block contracts for residential and nursing beds following the publication of the Prior Information Notice.

41.1    The Sub Committee considered a report of the Executive Director, Health and Adult Social Care which detailed the difficulties which the council was facing in securing residential nursing and complex needs care home provision at competitive and sustainable rates. To help address this Commissioners were seeking approval to block contract beds where it was deemed in the best interests of the council and the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

41.2    By entering into block contracts arrangements capacity could be secured at more competitive rates, whilst maintaining good quality provision. Commissioners intended to issue a Prior Information Notice (PIN) to seek expressions of interest from providers. The council was seeking to award multiple block contracts for a maximum of 100 units of residential and nursing care beds, within the boundaries of Brighton and Hove. Providers would be required to respond to the PIN as a call for competition detailing the number of units they were offering the weekly rate. Further competition might be required depending on the response to the PIN.

41.3    In answer to questions, The Commissioning and Performance Manager, Alex Saunders, explained that this process would enable the market to be tested ahead of this bigger tender to see what appetite there was for block contracts ahead of letting out larger contracts, the existing contract due to expire in March 2022 having been extended to July 2023 and would enable this process to be completed as part of the wide ranging re-commissioning which needed to take place in the wake of the widespread consultation which was taking place. It was anticipated that the tender process would take place that summer and that following that these contracts would be let in the spring of 2023. This report was being presented to the Sub Committee ahead of that re-commissioning process in order to take advantage of opportunities that officers were aware of in the market-place.

41.4    It was confirmed that the information which came forward as a result of this prior information notice would be reported back to the Sub Committee prior to these bigger contracts being let.

41.5    Councillor Mears stated that provided that it was agreed that there would be a further report back to Committee before these contracts were let that she was prepared to vote for the report recommendations

41.6    RESOLVED – (1) That the Sub Committee grant delegated authority to the Executive Director of Health and Adult Social Care to issue a Prior Information Notice to seek expression of interest from providers interested in entering into block contract arrangements for residential and nursing care beds; and

(2) That the Sub Committee grant delegated authority to they Executive Director of Health and Adult Social Care to procure and award block contracts for residential and nursing beds following the publication of the Prior Information Notice.