Council cabinet member for health says he accepts out-of-hours GP services decision but is disappointed

Councillor Bernie Bentick, Shropshire Council's Liberal Democrat cabinet member responsible for health, was speaking after an independent panel gave the green light for county health bosses to proceed with their intention to award a contract for the county's out-of-hours GP services to a firm called Medvivo.

The has been provided by Shropshire Doctors Co-operative Limited - known as Shropdoc, since 1996.

Councillor Bentick had challenged the move as an opposition councillor before May's council election - where his party swept to victory and he was installed as the authority's cabinet member for health.

Speaking following the confirmation of Independent Patient Choice and Procurement Panel decision, Councillor Bentick said: "While I am personally very disappointed at the Independent Patient Choice and Procurement Panel decision on the Shropshire Telford & Wrekin GP out-of-hour and related services contract, as Shropshire portfolio holder for health and public protection I must accept its decision and ensure that appropriate oversight, contract, and clinical performance standards and patient complaint systems are in place and working properly to ensure that a high quality service is maintained for the people of Shropshire."

He added: "Finally, I expect to see suitable break clauses in the contract, in case these are required."

In a statement yesterday (Wednesday, July 2) following the publication of the panel's report NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin welcomed the conclusion, adding that it will now consider the full report.

A statement from the organisation said: "NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin (NHS STW) is now able to confirm receipt of the national Independent Patient Choice and Procurement Panel’s report regarding the outcome of the representation received for the GP out-of-hours service procurement.

"The independent panel’s findings confirm that NHS STW acted in full accordance with the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) regulations, conducting a transparent, fair and proportionate procurement process in full compliance with statutory and legal requirements."

Gemma Smith, director for commissioning at NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, added: “We welcome this report and remain committed to delivering a high-quality, value-for-money out-of-hours service that meets the needs of local communities. This outcome reflects the dedication and hard work of everyone involved throughout this complex process.

“We thank the panel for their thorough review and will now carefully consider the full report.”