West Sussex County Council (WSCC) has a contract with NRS Healthcare (NRS) for the provision of Community Equipment Services (CES). The CES provides equipment as well as advice, guidance and support for Community Equipment prescribers, patients and customers. It supports people to live as independently as possible in their own home, facilitates hospital discharge, and prevents unnecessary hospital admissions.
The CES contract is due to expire (subsequent to prior uptake of permissible extension periods) on 31 March 2022. The contract was awarded on 1 April 2015 for an initial period of 5 years with a 2-year extension option.
An additional 12-months is required to enable the full contract re-commissioning to incorporate the key aspects of the Department of Health’s ‘Urgent Community Response’ standards and to enable an Integrated Community Equipment Service (ICES) for West Sussex to be implemented (including the move to a pooled budget arrangement - with the associated process and financial efficiencies that this provides). It will also enable CES provision to be remodelled and the optimum re-commissioning strategy to be adopted for the next competitively tendered contract.
Decision type: Key
Reason Key: Expenditure > £500,000;
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Divisions affected: (All Divisions);
Notice of proposed decision first published: 30/07/2021
Decision due: August 2021 by Executive Director Adults and Health
Lead member: Keith Hinkley, Director of Adults and Health keith.hinkley@westsussex.gov.uk
Contact: Chris Jones, Service Development Manager, Adult Services Email: chris.jones@westsussex.gov.uk Tel: 0330 022 28249.
Consultation process
Representations concerning this proposed decision can be made via the officer contact, in the month in which the decision is due to be taken.
Democratic Services Contact: Erica Keegan Tel: 033 022 26050