Lessons to be learned from contract for out-of-hours GP services in Cardiff

9 March 2006

A report by the Assembly’s Audit Committee highlights the shortcomings in the tendering process for the out-of-hours service in Cardiff. It concludes there were serious deficiencies in the checks Cardiff Local Health Board (LHB) carried out to assess the financial and clinical capacity of Clinical Solutions UK/Europe (CSUK) prior to awarding the contract, and additional funding awarded to CSUK was unjustified.

In April 2004, Cardiff LHB awarded a contract for providing out-of-hours GP services to a newly formed company, CSUK, following a competitive tender process. Shortly after the service began operating, Cardiff LHB awarded CSUK an additional £59,000 to manage risks to patients’ safety caused by unacceptably long call-back times at weekends. The Committee makes a series of recommendations intended for public sector bodies to assist them in improving the way in which they tender, award and manage future contracts. Janet Davies AM, Chair of the Audit Committee, said: ‘There are important lessons to be learned from the failings of the local health board in the award and subsequent management of the contract for out-of-hours GP services in Cardiff. I hope that the Committee’s recommendations will help safeguard against similar mistakes in the future.’