Welsh government tender-free contract award criticised

The contract was awarded to a firm which offers a service to connect GPs to specialist consultants for treatment advice

A £650,000 per year contract awarded by the Welsh government without an open tender process has been criticised by opposition parties in Wales.

Consultant Connect, which offers a service where GPs can talk directly to specialist consultants for advice, was awarded the contract last April.

The Welsh government said the award was fully compliant with rules and Covid's impact had justified the direct award.

Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats have called for an open tender process.

Some medical professionals have also expressed concerns about the system, which can connect GPs in Wales to consultants in England, due to differences between the devolved Welsh NHS and the healthcare system in England.

The Welsh government confirmed the body responsible for NHS Wales procurement was "in the process of undertaking a direct award/extending the contract to ensure continuation of the service until a full evaluation of the service has been completed".

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Tendering offers businesses and taxpayers greater transparency and understanding of the process in granting public contracts and concerns have been raised by opposition parties about an alleged lack of transparency in awarding the contract.

Rhun ap Iowerth, who speaks on health for Plaid Cymru, said: "It is possible to award contracts in an exceptionally fast way and without a tender where there is no other option. There is also an option of going through tender processes which are open but very quick.

"Especially now, when we come to renewing the contract, surely there is no excuse for at least going through a tender process which is open but fast?"

Cadan ap Tomos, the Welsh Liberal Democrat candidate for Ceredigion, said: "It is 12 months since this contract was first awarded.

"Having had 12 months to consider whether this is the best way to offer a particular service, it is imperative a fairer process is in place and that a public tender process is allowed to take place."

Rhun ap Iorwerth of Plaid Cymru said there was "no excuse" for the contract to have not been put through an "open but fast" tendering process

The Welsh Conservatives and Welsh Labour both declined to comment.

At the time of the awarding of the contract, the then-non-executive chairman of Consultant Connect had links with the Labour party.

He was previously a director of a company which "developed the entire online infrastructure for the UK Labour party".

He had also been a director of Labour List, a website supportive but independent of the Labour party.

Both Welsh Labour and the Welsh government declined to comment on links between the company and the Labour party.

Consultant Connect said: "The contract with the Welsh government originated from a clinician who had previously seen the benefits of Consultant Connect in another healthcare area.

"It was not the result of solicitation from Consultant Connect nor anyone associated with Consultant Connect."

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Concerns from GPs

Several GPs also told BBC Wales they were often, if not always, referred to consultants working in England.

Some were concerned advice and treatment suggested broke local guidelines in Wales.

Dr Phil White, chairman of BMA Cymru's GP committee, told BBC Wales's Newyddion S4C programme: "The concept is very good. It's a way of getting a rapid response from a consultant in the speciality you are looking for.

"The downside has been many of the consultants signed up for the scheme are in England and of course there are certain differences between the NHS in Wales and England and how things are run."

Dr Phil White from BMA Cymru said the concept of the service was "very good," but raised concerns over GPs being connected to England-based consultants

The Welsh government said: "Calls are taken by a NHS consultant, registrar or nurse practitioner and wherever possible, local clinicians are used to provide the advice.

"Where this is not possible, then the calls may be routed to a national network of NHS clinicians."

Consultant Connect said: "Most calls on Consultant Connect are between a local GP and a local specialist as we know that local advice is always best.

"But we also know that, where no local specialists are available to take a call, advice from another UK specialist may still be better than no advice at all."