Discharge to Access Service- (West Locality)

Discharge to Access - West Locality Service

The provision of bed based nursing services commissioned by Suffolk County Council in Partnership with Morar Living to provide a swift discharge of medically optimised customers from the acute as part of the Discharge to Assess model.

Due to current provider of the service having declined to continue their services for the remaining contract period, a Direct Award has been agreed.

The proposed approach is a 12-month direct award to a new provider with an option of a plus one year extension.

The rationale for this includes:

• The operational complexities of providing D2A care.
• The need to ensure continuity and avoid disruption to hospital discharge pathways.
• The preventative role of the service under Section 2 of the Care Act 2014.
• The need to provide stability within the local care market.
• The importance of giving the new provider sufficient certainty to recruit, retain and mobilise staff.
• The need to plan capacity across both winter and summer periods.
• Alignment with the wider 12-month extension arrangements.
• The fact that there are currently no voids within the area, demonstrating continued demand for the service.
• The proposed provider's proven track record in delivering D2A services and ability to deliver the service successfully.
• The proposed provider currently has capacity, including approximately 14 voids, which is significantly more than any other provider in the area and supports immediate mobilisation.
• The provider's willingness to engage proactively with Suffolk County Council and work collaboratively to build a strong and productive partnership relationship.

A 12-month arrangement would provide sufficient time for the new provider to mobilise and establish the service, while also allowing commissioners to monitor delivery and develop a longer-term procurement approach.