Somerset health and social care contract not extended

The care service provides district nurses, health visitors and social workers to some of the most vulnerable and housebound

A contract providing 51 health and social care services for residents in Bath and North East Somerset will not be extended, it has been announced.

The contract, awarded to HCRG Care Group in April 2017, is due to end on 31 March 2024.

The governing body of the Clinical Commissioning Group had recommended an extension of the contract.

The decision came as HCRG Care Group was sold to a private investor; T20 Pioneer Holdings Limited.

Sue Harriman, accountable officer for Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire CCG, said: "I would like to assure local residents that the decision has been taken so we can continue to provide high quality services that meet the needs of our local communities and ensure we make the best use of public money."

The cost to the Bath and North East Somerset Council will be £9.5m, compared to £965,000 if the contract had been extended.

The majority of that covers staffing costs to enable the safe transfer of services, it said.

It has not announced what will replace the HCRG Care Group contract, formerly known as Virgin Care Services.

A spokesperson for HCRG Care Group said: "We believe we are well placed to continue providing the services to the high quality required and are proud of what we have achieved and what we will continue to deliver.

"We will continue to operate as normal while we work in partnership in B&NES to agree and understand how we move forward together after 2024."

Councillor Alison Born, Bath & North East Somerset Council Cabinet Member for Adults and Council House Building, said: "Our priority throughout has been to ensure the delivery of high-quality health and social care services that meet the needs of our local communities.

"This decision gives us an opportunity to redesign community services to focus even more on prevention and ensure residents get the support and care that is right for them."