BSW Hospitals Group “Return to Plan” Programme

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id

ICS/16287/CORP/NP/0826

Status

complete

Procurement Method

direct

Procurement Method Details

Direct award

Why this procedure was chosen

This direct award is being made under Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023 on the basis of technical reasons. The requirement is for immediate senior financial turnaround support to assist BSW Hospitals Group in delivering its 2026/27 Return to Plan Programme. The requirement is not for generic consultancy support, but for specialist turnaround expertise capable of providing immediate challenge, assurance and delivery support across the Group. The proposed adviser has previously worked within the system on financial turnaround and improvement initiatives and has established knowledge of the financial, operational and governance context across Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust and the wider BSW Hospitals Group. This includes direct understanding of the financial recovery challenges, governance arrangements, organisational structures, reporting mechanisms and key stakeholder relationships. The adviser can therefore mobilise immediately without the need for a prolonged discovery, familiarisation or relationship-building phase, enabling rapid deployment of grip and control measures, forecasting assurance, reporting improvements and in-year recovery actions. The Group has considered whether an open tender, Competitive Flexible Procedure or alternative framework route would be proportionate. However, those routes would introduce delay, mobilisation risk and loss of continuity at the point when corrective action must be implemented to influence the 2026/27 financial position. Whilst alternative suppliers may offer generic turnaround capability, they would not reasonably be expected to provide the same combination of established financial turnaround expertise, prior local system knowledge, immediate mobilisation capability and executive-level credibility required for this specific in-year recovery requirement. The Contracting Authority therefore considers that the proposed supplier is uniquely positioned to deliver the required services and that a direct award represents the most proportionate and effective route to secure the required outcomes.

Published risks

Risk: Potential challenge regarding use of a direct award procedure. Mitigation: A Transparency Notice will be published and the required standstill period observed prior to contract award. Benchmarking has been undertaken against NHS consultancy market rates and demonstrates that the proposed day rate represents value for money. A comprehensive audit trail has been maintained setting out the procurement options considered, rationale for the direct award route, market benchmarking, approval process and governance arrangements. Contract performance will be monitored through defined deliverables, regular progress reviews and expenditure controls.

Lots and requirements

Published documents

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Award information

Recorded locations

• Buyer location · Swindon · UKK14 · SN3 6BB · United Kingdom