Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2016-06-09
Buyer: Canterbury Christ Church University
Country: UK
Region: Kent
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Open procedure
CPV classification: 85100000: Health services
Submission deadline: 2016-07-06
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: Canterbury Christ Church University is looking to appoint a provider to deliver an Occupational Health Service (OHS) that supports the University in meeting legislative requirements and maintaining a duty of care to staff, ensuring fitness to work of staff, promoting physical and mental wellbeing amongst staff to optimise attendance, engagement, resilience and performance.
The OHS provider will support staff with illness or other medical or health requirements and assist in the prevention of health-related problems amongst the University's staff as a result of their activities, providing guidance and signposting for the treatment of any such problems. OHS will provide advice to managers about the reasonable long or short term adjustments that can be made; and support employees who as a result of injury, new or pre-existing health problems find that they are not able to fulfil the remit of their role, either in the short or long-term. Furthermore, the OHS provider is required to be a conduit in providing advice that facilitates early intervention of services delivered through the core NHS remit. This may include liaison with GP's and other health practitioners with the employees express consent.
The OHS provider will help the University to reduce levels of sickness absence, identifying trends in work-related absence and prioritising and tackling significant health and wellbeing-related issues.
The provider will provide advice on a range of work-related issues. Significantly it will bring to the attention of the University relevant work-related health requirements, topics and themes so as to inform the review, development and implementation of appropriate occupational health and wellbeing interventions.
The service will be provided to all staff employed by the University. Services, if not provided on site, must be available within a reasonable radius (no more than 60 minutes' drive) of the 3 main campuses at Canterbury, Medway and Broadstairs.
The Provider shall be required to develop a good understanding of the University's objectives and tasks, as well as the environmental and work-related health risks particular to its staff, working in partnership with relevant university departments.
The Provider shall have a clear process in place both for monitoring and assuring the quality of its service and for dealing with customer complaints. The Provider shall be required to meet minimum response and turnaround times for the provision of OH services, including appointments. The Provider shall be expected to be proactive in keeping the University informed on progress in delivering activities against response and turnaround times, including providing early warning of any potential exceptions. Minimum requirements shall be agreed with the University, but are likely to be:
— Post-offer assessments for staff should be sent to the employee within 2 working days (48 hours) of receipt of instruction from the University and return report to the University within 2 working days (48 hours) of receipt from employee;
— For appointments with an Occupational Health Advisors (OHA), inform the University and the individual of the appointment date within 2 working days (48 hours) of referral and hold the appointment within 5 working days of informing the University and the individual;
— For appointments with an Occupational Health Physician (OHP), inform the University and the individual of the appointment date within 2 working days (48 hours) of referral and hold the appointment within 7 working days of informing the University and the individual;
— OHA/OHP reports to be emailed to the University within 2 working days (48 hours) of the appointment taking place.
The Provider shall ensure that any services carried out meet the requirements of all relevant legislation, regulations, guidelines and standards current at the time of delivery. This includes the HEOPS guidance for higher education standards, which is applicable to these services.
The contracts will be awarded on or after 1.9.2016 and shall continue for 3 years. The University also reserves the option to extend the initial 3 year term for a further 2 years, which will be agreeable annually based on the supplier's good performance.
There is also currently a separate provision in place for the Occupational Health Services to students in Health, Wellbeing and Education programmes at Canterbury Christ Church. The University reserves the right to include this provision within this contract. This would be dependent on the successful supplier being able to demonstrate that they can deliver the student services in a cost effective and professional way. This decision will only be made once the University have completed its current review of the Student Occupational Health provision.