Issue - meetings

      Report of the Chief Executive

Cllr Ian Blair-Pilling, Cabinet Member for Public Health, Public Protection, Leisure, Libraries, Facilities Management and Operational Assets presented a report which provided information about the future delivery model for Wiltshire’s Public Health Nursing Services (PHNS) beyond April 2024, currently delivered by HCRG Care Group as part of Wiltshire’s Children’s Community Healthcare Services contract.

General questions were submitted from Chris Caswill about the reasons why the Appendix was contained in the private part of the agenda and not available for inspection by the public.

The Leader of the Council explained that the questions had received written responses which were published on the Council’s website prior to the meeting in the agenda supplement, which can be accessed here.

Cllr Blair-Pilling explained that the HCRG contract is a collaborative commissioning arrangement between the Council, NHS Bath and North-East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, with a total value for 2022/23 of £14.1m.

Cabinet noted that the Integrated Care Board (ICB) began a review of community health services across Bath and North-East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire, with Wiltshire being an active participant in the review, whilst maintaining its intention to progress with arrangements as agreed by Cabinet in in June 2022 for PHNS to be part of a single procurement of a combined universal and specialist children’s community health service for Wiltshire with separate terms and conditions for the respective Council and ICB elements. The ICB has recently clarified it is not able to progress a joint procurement process with Wiltshire Council at this time and the Council is not able to extend the current contract any further under procurement legislation. The options available have therefore evolved since June 2022 to (i) single procurement of Wiltshire PHNS by Wiltshire Council or (ii) Local Authority in-house PHNS.

The report detailed the options appraisal against the same strategic objectives set out in June 2022, which showed minimal variation in relation to strategic elements, but greater variation in relation to technical elements, with the single procurement of Wiltshire PHNS by Wiltshire Council being the preferred  option.

In response to a question from Cllr Clare Cape about the importance of the outcome of the procurement process, Cllr Blair-Pilling expressed disappointment that the Council were unable to procure the service with the ICB, however, the spirit of integration still remained.   

Cllr Graham Wright, Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee, on behalf of Cllr Jon Hubbard, Chair of the Children’s Select Committee and Cllr Johnny Kidney, Chairman of the Health Select Committee, confirmed that a joint briefing was held for the Chair’s and Vice-Chair’s of the Health Select Committee and Children’s Select Committee on 25 April 2023. No issues were raised.

Resolved:

That Cabinet agrees:

1. For the Local Authority to undertake a standalone procurement of Wiltshire PHNS.

2. To delegate to the Director of Public Health in consultation with the Cabinet member for Children’s Services, Education and Skills and Cabinet member for Public Health, Public Protection, Leisure, Libraries, Facilities Management and Operational Assets,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40