Update on Withnell Health Centre – 24 April 2024

The following statement provides an update on Withnell Health Centre:

Professor Craig Harris, chief operating officer for NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, said: “I want to provide an update ahead of papers being published today for our primary care commissioning committee meeting next week. I would also like to once again reassure the local population who access services at Withnell Health Centre that we are doing everything we can to get the best and quickest outcome for the practice’s patients and staff.

“We are pleased to be able to present the procurement evaluation process for Withnell Health Centre and to formally outline how the decision regarding the future provider of services at the practice will be determined. 

“Of particular note is the involvement of patients in the evaluation exercise, focusing on the award criteria that relates most to the findings of the patient engagement exercise which took place last year. We will work with the Withnell patient steering group to progress this, and in order to balance any perception of patient conflict of interest a patient registered elsewhere will also be asked to take part in the evaluation.

“This follows the March primary care commissioning committee’s decision to approve a competitive procedure under the Provider Selection Regime to appoint a long-term provider for the practice. This was based on consideration of all procurement routes, extensive legal advice and the associated published guidance and gives the quickest route to securing the best outcome for Withnell Health Centre and its patients and staff.

“The publication today of our procurement evaluation strategy further confirms our commitment to ensuring this process is carried out as quickly and fairly as possible in order to support the registered patients of Withnell Health Centre as well as the staff who work there.”