Responding to the collapse of plans to hand a £687m contract for cancer services in Staffordshire to private companies, UNISON head of health Christina McAnea said: “The failure of this tender highlights yet again that using complicated processes to award contracts is a costly and inefficient way of delivering essential NHS services.
“The time and money wasted on this lengthy tendering process would have been better spent on patient care rather than creating further uncertainty for service users and staff.”
Notes to editors:
– A tender process for the contract has been running since 2013. The only remaining offer, from a consortium led by Interserve, was deemed to be not financially viable by commissioners.
– UNISON wrote to Staffordshire and Surrounds CCG chief officer Andrew Donald In January last year calling for the tendering process to be halted, saying: “It is our belief that stopping this exercise now would save further costs and uncertainty for service users and staff”.
Media contacts:
Joe Lewis T: 0207 121 5255 M: 07970 863 411 E: j.lewis5@unison.co.uk
Alan Weaver T: 0207 121 5555 M: 07939 143310 E: a.weaver@unison.co.uk