Cornwall to design ‘integrated’ out of hours contract

NHS Kernow’s board has announced plans to write a contract aimed at integrating the area’s out of hours service with other services, such as urgent care centres, in what a board document describes as a “hub and spoke” model.

The decision to implement a more integrated contracting model was made to meet the  “urgent” need for sufficient out of hours provision to be put in place from next June, when the current contract, held by outsourcing giant Serco, will end.

The company and the CCG agreed to end its contract 17 months early, after the company admitted some of its staff had falsified performance data.

The new contracting plan will require the CCG to put together a 12-month “interim arrangement with a partnership of existing providers” from June 2015, to continue out-of-hours primary care provision , while a new service tender is worked up.

The goal is in line with Cornwall’s status as an integration pioneer community.

The procurement of the redesigned contract will involve a 12-month tender process, with a contract beginning in June 2016.

While all component parts of the new service would be linked to the local 111 service, an NHS Kernow spokeswoman said that it is too soon to provide more detail about what the new service would include.

Dr Iain Chorlton, the CCG’s GP lead for out of hours care, said: “Now is just not the right time to commit ourselves to a contract which will tie us in for the next five years.

“We fully intend to take the time to consult with the community and health workers to ensure we get the new service right. We do not want to rush it – we want to ensure that out-of-hours services are fit-for-purpose for many years to come. The interim service will be a stepping stone towards full integration – we will be learning lessons, what works and what does not work, and good practice will be taken forward into the permanent contract.”

Last July the Commons public accounts committee criticised Serco’s Cornwall service for having a “bullying culture”, which made it difficult for workers to come forward with concerns.

In December Serco said the decision to leave Cornwall was part of its wider strategy to pull out of the out-of-hours market and focus on other areas of healthcare.