Southend’s Healthwatch Service

Southend’s Integrated Commissioning Team is inviting expressions of interest to deliver its independent Healthwatch service between 1 April 2016 and 30 September 2016. As part of the contract the provider will also provide Southend’s Independent NHS Complaints Advocacy Service. Our current Healthwatch contract was commissioned in 2013 to meet the statutory requirements placed on Healthwatch and Independent NHS Complaints Advocacy Services. This contract ends 31 March 2016.

The statutory elements of The Service are set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2012 . A summary for the Healthwatch component is attached as appendix A.

The Independent NHS Complaints Advocacy must:

Support clients with a complaint or grievance related to any aspect of healthcare as Described in the Health and Social Care Act 2012 including healthcare providers in secure environments and those which fall under the jurisdiction of the Health Service Ombudsman, such as complaints about poor treatment or service provided through NHS in England. It will ensure that individuals who are subjected to compulsory admissions to hospital under the Mental Health Act, section 3 are signposted to the appropriate IMHA service.

Annual reports produced by the current service provider for years 2013/14 and 2014/15 are attached as appendix B and C respectively.

The TUPE confidentiality agreement is provided as appendix D. Please note that this will need signing and returning to us before we are able to release the TUPE information

Additional information: If you are intending to provide a submission then please inform us by email to procurement@southend.gov.uk. We will then be able to include your organisation on the email distribution list as clarification questions are received and responded to.