Silence over care contract award

The trust which runs Calderdale Royal Hospital could lose millions of pounds if it misses out a contract to provide community health services.

A consortium headed by Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust was one of two bidders for the £238m Care Closer to Home Contract.

Trade magazine the Health Service Journal has reported that not-for-profit enterprise Locala, the other bidder, has been given the contract.

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But officials at Greater Huddersfield and North Kirklees Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), who are awarding the contract, could not confirm this.

The financial implications of who wins the five-year contract are revealed in a report to Calderdale and Huddersfield’s last board meeting.

The report said: “The progression of the Care Closer to Home tender continues.

“The trust is conscious that this will have one of two impacts within 2015-16 of a loss £5m income or a growth in income of £30m, both with associated costs.”

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The hospital trust is already forecast to be £20m in deficit by the end of this financial year and has been in talks to secure cash support from the government.

Bosses at the CCGs said that under NHS procurement rules, the preferred bidder would be announced after a 10-day “standstill period”.

This was expected to be “on or after May 27” - but they could give no update yesterday.