CWC21023 - Wolverhampton Independent Health Complaints Advocacy Service (WHACS)

The City of Wolverhampton Council intends to procure a new Independent Health Complaints Advocacy Service (IHCAS) locally branded as Wolverhampton Health Advocacy Complaints Service (WHACS).

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 transferred the responsibility of commissioning NHS Complaints Advocacy services from Central Government to Local Government. The current Independent Health Complaints Advocacy Service contract ends on 31 March 2022. The Council plans to procure a stand-alone replacement Service which will commence in April 2022, and end in October 2023 to align with other statutory advocacy services.

Wolverhampton is looking for an experienced provider who understands the key aspect of the Service is the focus on empowering and supporting individuals to go through the complaints procedures for health services, and to assist them in finding a resolution to their complaint(s) about the care or treatment they have received. Supporting individuals to go through to the Health Service Ombudsman may also be necessary.

The provider will deliver services that meet the legal requirements as described in the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and any current or future regulations.

The service will enable local people to make and resolve complaints in relation to the following services:

• All NHS Trusts and NHS Bodies including NHS Foundation Trusts,
• Family Health Services provided for the NHS by GPs, Dentists, Opticians or Pharmacists and other health care practitioners,
• Clinical Care Groups or ensuing organisation/s,
• Private health care establishments if the treatment has been paid for by the NHS,
• All other health services commissioned by NHS funding.

Please see the tender documents for further information.

Light Touch Regime:

The subject matter of this procurement process relates to the delivery of services which are listed to in Chapter 3, Section 7 to the PCR 2015 regulations. As such the full regime set out in the regulations will not apply to the award of the contract. Consequently, the procurement process adopted by the Commissioners has been developed in accordance with Regulation 76 of the regulations and in particular in accordance with the fundamental public procurement principles of transparency and equal treatment. For the avoidance of doubt this means that the Commissioners have adopted an open procedure described in the associated tender documents.