Decision details

For the Executive Director of People to approve that Bracknell Forest Council proceeds to jointly procure Local Healthwatch services in East Berkshire with Slough BC (lead commissioner) and Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.

The local authority is required, by law, to provide a local Healthwatch service (LHW). A further extension of the current contract beyond 30 June 2020 is not possible. A new contract for providing Healthwatch Bracknell Forest must be procured to be legally compliant.

Not procuring with Slough Borough Council would mean procuring as a single local authority. This is not recommended as economies of scales for procurement process and the delivery of service would not be achieved. Larger contracts are more attractive for providers, widening the pool of quality bidders. Bracknell Forest Council aims to be an active partner for place-based commissioning in East Berks working collaboratively with health and local authority partners on integration and delivering consistent high-quality services.