The biggest stories and debate in health and care
- Today’s must know: Southern Health prosecuted for third time
- Today’s talking point: Current providers set to win major new procurement contracts
- Today’s risk: Second private hospital stops taking new patients after CQC concerns
- Today’s appointment: New chair for hospital trust following Sir Ian Carruthers’ departure
Trust faces third prosecution
A third prosecution will be brought against Southern Health Foundation Trust after a patient was found dead in a hospital in Southampton five years ago.
The Health and Safety Executive is taking action against the trust over the death of Teresa Colvin on 22 April 2012. Ms Colvin died at Woodhaven adult mental health hospital.
An HSE spokesman said the trust is being prosecuted under section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
Last week the trust was fined £125,000 after a Care Quality Commission prosecution over safety warnings that were repeatedly ignored by the trust.
Southern Health has also pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety law over the death of Connor Sparrowhawk in 2013. This prosecution was brought by HSE and the trust is expected to be sentenced next year.
Familiar look to procurement shake-up
Multimillion pound procurement contracts are set to be awarded to the incumbent purchasing providers to the NHS, HSJ revealed on Wednesday.
Several sources have told HSJ the Department of Health is set to name DHL and the NHS Collaborative Procurement Partnership as winners of up to three contracts each, amid a major overhaul of NHS procurement.
Ten contracts were put on the market by the DH in December for the procurement of goods within 10 categories of medical equipment, capital equipment and other areas of NHS expenditure such as food and hotel services.
Winners of the first batch of six contracts have yet to be announced by the DH, but HSJ understands DHL and the NHS CPP are among them.
The six contracts are for the procurement of everyday and high value healthcare consumables, and are worth a combined total of £112m.
Sources have also told HSJ the NHS CPP is the preferred bidder for the category covering orthopaedics, trauma and spine, and ophthalmology equipment.
Two sources said DHL and the NHS CPP are set to be awarded three contracts each, which is the maximum number of categories an organisation can procure goods for the NHS under the new model. This has not been confirmed by DH.
If this went ahead, it would mean the six contracts being awarded to the organisations who already buy the majority of these goods on behalf of the NHS.
No comments yet