Current Contract CRG Medical Services

Waiting for an internal review by Lancashire Constabulary of their handling of this request.

Angela Snodgrove

Dear Lancashire Constabulary,

May I please see the current contract with CRG Medical Services?

May I also see a list of the suppliers invited to bid on the contract, and a list of the bidders who submitted. If this was a public tender process, may I please know which publications advertised the Invitation to Tender?

May I please see a copy of the Invitation to Tender (Bid)?

Yours faithfully,

Angela Snodgrove

Information assurance unit,

If you are emailing a valid Freedom of Information request please treat
this as a formal acknowledgement.

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, known hereafter as ‘the Act’. You should receive a
response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined in
the Act (from when Lancashire Constabulary receive a valid request).

Please note that disclosure is subject to the information not being exempt
or containing a reference to a third party.

Some requests may also require either full or partial transference to
another public authority in order to answer your query in the fullest
possible way. Again, you will be informed if this is the case.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Lancashire Constabulary.

Regards,

 

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION TEAM

Lancashire Constabulary

Information Assurance and Vetting

Police Headquarters

Tel: 01772 413324 Web: [1]www.lancashire.police.uk

Email: [2][Lancashire Constabulary request email]      

 

 

 

 

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Information assurance unit,

3 Attachments

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 1920/16

Please find attached Lancashire Constabulary’s response to your recent
request for information made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Lancashire Constabulary.

Regards,

 

 

Compliance Team

Professional Standards Department

Information Compliance and Disclosure Section

Lancashire Constabulary Headquarters

 

Tel: 01772 413329

Email: [1][email address]

 

 

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without retaining a copy.

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Angela Snodgrove

Dear Information assurance unit,

Thank you very much.

For clarification purposes, was this a private tender process or a public one?

Yours sincerely,

Angela Snodgrove

Information assurance unit,

If you are emailing a valid Freedom of Information request please treat
this as a formal acknowledgement.

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, known hereafter as ‘the Act’. You should receive a
response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined in
the Act (from when Lancashire Constabulary receive a valid request).

Please note that disclosure is subject to the information not being exempt
or containing a reference to a third party.

Some requests may also require either full or partial transference to
another public authority in order to answer your query in the fullest
possible way. Again, you will be informed if this is the case.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Lancashire Constabulary.

Regards,

 

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION TEAM

Lancashire Constabulary

Information Assurance and Vetting

Police Headquarters

Tel: 01772 413324 Web: [1]www.lancashire.police.uk

Email: [2][Lancashire Constabulary request email]      

 

 

 

 

********************************************************************************************

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If you are not the intended recipient, please advise the sender
immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message and any attachments,
without retaining a copy.

Lancashire Constabulary monitors its emails, and you are advised that any
e-mail you send may be subject to monitoring.

This e-mail has been scanned for the presence of computer viruses.

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2. mailto:[Lancashire Constabulary request email]

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Information assurance unit,

Good morning Angela,

In order for us to answer your question, are you able to clarify what you mean by a private or public tender process?

Kind regards,

Compliance Team
Professional Standards Department
Information Compliance and Disclosure Section
Lancashire Constabulary Headquarters

Tel: 01772 412326
Email: [email address]

-----Original Message-----
From: Angela Snodgrove [mailto:[FOI #323348 email]]
Sent: 19 April 2016 12:47
To: Information assurance unit
Subject: Re: FOI Application Response: Our Ref: 1920/16

Dear Information assurance unit,

Thank you very much.

For clarification purposes, was this a private tender process or a public one?

Yours sincerely,

Angela Snodgrove

-----Original Message-----

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 1920/16

Please find attached Lancashire Constabulary’s response to your recent request for information made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in Lancashire Constabulary.

Regards,

Compliance Team

Professional Standards Department

Information Compliance and Disclosure Section

Lancashire Constabulary Headquarters

Tel: 01772 413329

Email: [1][email address]

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #323348 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the latest advice from the ICO:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

********************************************************************************************

This message may contain information which is confidential or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please advise the sender immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message and any attachments, without retaining a copy.

Lancashire Constabulary monitors its emails, and you are advised that any e-mail you send may be subject to monitoring.

This e-mail has been scanned for the presence of computer viruses.

********************************************************************************************

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Angela Snodgrove

Dear Information assurance unit,

Private is when you contact suppliers privately and ask them to bid and do not disclose the bids.

Public is when you invite the tenders publicly, such as placing an advertisement, opening the tenders publicly, holding a bidders' meeting, and making the bids and the award public. If your purchasing department does not know this, then you are in big trouble.

As the contract value is more than 50K, it should have been a full public process. According to EU regulations, the Invitation to Tender should also have included advertising in the EU Journal. Please confirm that it was, and provide a copy of the advertisement and the bidders list.

There is no way that your purchasing/contracts department should have conducted a private process for this contract, and you are therefore legally obligated to make everything I originally asked for available for public scrutiny.

I strongly suggest that you do. There is no way that this process should have been private or secret and that you should be concealing everything.

Looking forward to receiving the original information that I asked for, along with the answers to these questions. There should be nothing secret about spending over a million pounds a year and the process used to spend it.

Yours sincerely,

Angela Snodgrove

Information assurance unit,

If you are emailing a valid Freedom of Information request please treat
this as a formal acknowledgement.

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, known hereafter as ‘the Act’. You should receive a
response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined in
the Act (from when Lancashire Constabulary receive a valid request).

Please note that disclosure is subject to the information not being exempt
or containing a reference to a third party.

Some requests may also require either full or partial transference to
another public authority in order to answer your query in the fullest
possible way. Again, you will be informed if this is the case.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Lancashire Constabulary.

Regards,

 

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION TEAM

Lancashire Constabulary

Information Assurance and Vetting

Police Headquarters

Tel: 01772 413324 Web: [1]www.lancashire.police.uk

Email: [2][Lancashire Constabulary request email]      

 

 

 

 

********************************************************************************************

This message may contain information which is confidential or privileged.
If you are not the intended recipient, please advise the sender
immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message and any attachments,
without retaining a copy.

Lancashire Constabulary monitors its emails, and you are advised that any
e-mail you send may be subject to monitoring.

This e-mail has been scanned for the presence of computer viruses.

********************************************************************************************

References

Visible links
1. http://www.lancashire.police.uk/
http://www.lancashire.police.uk/
2. mailto:[Lancashire Constabulary request email]

hide quoted sections

Information assurance unit,

1 Attachment

Dear Angela

I write further to your email below. As you have expressed dissatisfaction in the Constabulary's response, we have conducted an internal review of the Constabulary's original decision to refuse to reply the bidders list by virtue of Section 43 (2) of the Freedom of Information Act.

I have concluded that this was incorrectly engaged, and as such please find the requested information detailed below.

The bidders were:-

G4S Facilities Management
Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust
Medacs Healthcare PLC (CRG bought Medacs in Dec 2014 and all police healthcare contracts novated over, hence our contract with CRG)
Nestor Primecare Services Ltd

Furthermore, we can provide the following advice in relation to the contract:-

We can confirm that we are a public sector organisation and as such the contract was advertised in line with our own contract standing orders and EU procedures.

The contract opportunity was advertised on the local press and Contrax weekly in September 2011. This was classed as a Part B service under Public Contracts Regulations and therefore at that time there was no requirement to advertise it in OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union). The contracting opportunity was also published on the Bluelight e tendering system for bidders to view the opportunity and submit an expression of interest on 28 Sept 2011. Once the contract was awarded, after the assessment and evaluation process that was detailed within the invitation to tender, a contract award notice was published in the OJEU (a requirement for Part B services).

I note that further to your original request submitted you have also asked for a copy of the advertisement. You will find a copy attached to this email.

If you are not content with the outcome of your FOIA review, you may write to the Information Commissioner. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Regards

Sharon Glen - 10602
Compliance Team Leader
Professional Standards Department
Information Compliance and Disclosure Section
Lancashire Constabulary Headquarters

Tel: 01772 412504
Email: [email address]

-----Original Message-----
From: Angela Snodgrove [mailto:[FOI #323348 email]]
Sent: 26 April 2016 14:09
To: Information assurance unit
Subject: RE: FOI Application Response: Our Ref: 1920/16

Dear Information assurance unit,

Private is when you contact suppliers privately and ask them to bid and do not disclose the bids.

Public is when you invite the tenders publicly, such as placing an advertisement, opening the tenders publicly, holding a bidders' meeting, and making the bids and the award public. If your purchasing department does not know this, then you are in big trouble.

As the contract value is more than 50K, it should have been a full public process. According to EU regulations, the Invitation to Tender should also have included advertising in the EU Journal. Please confirm that it was, and provide a copy of the advertisement and the bidders list.

There is no way that your purchasing/contracts department should have conducted a private process for this contract, and you are therefore legally obligated to make everything I originally asked for available for public scrutiny.

I strongly suggest that you do. There is no way that this process should have been private or secret and that you should be concealing everything.

Looking forward to receiving the original information that I asked for, along with the answers to these questions. There should be nothing secret about spending over a million pounds a year and the process used to spend it.

Yours sincerely,

Angela Snodgrove

-----Original Message-----

Good morning Angela,

In order for us to answer your question, are you able to clarify what you mean by a private or public tender process?

Kind regards,

Compliance Team
Professional Standards Department
Information Compliance and Disclosure Section Lancashire Constabulary Headquarters

Tel: 01772 412326
Email: [email address]

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #323348 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the latest advice from the ICO:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

********************************************************************************************

This message may contain information which is confidential or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please advise the sender immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message and any attachments, without retaining a copy.

Lancashire Constabulary monitors its emails, and you are advised that any e-mail you send may be subject to monitoring.

This e-mail has been scanned for the presence of computer viruses.

********************************************************************************************

hide quoted sections

Angela Snodgrove

Dear Information assurance unit,

Your attachment is outdated. Unfortunately, due to the fact that I had already checked BLUELIGHT and the EU JOURNAL and found NOTHING except for the details of the award itself, I do not believe proper procedures were followed.

Please give me the DIRECT LINKS to the ads that you SAY were placed, because there is no evidence whatsoever of any advertisements.

The internal note that you sent me appears to be an attempt to deceive. It was dated 2011. I am asking about the CURRENT contract, and you have shown no evidence of proper tendering process being followed at all.

Please send me copies of all advertisements OR DIRECT LINKS to the Invitations to Tender placed in all publications, including Bluelight, the EU JOURNAL (REQUIRED BY EU REGULATIONS) Contrax, and the rest.

What you sent is evidence of absolutely nothing.

I look forward to receiving legitimate information.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Angela Snodgrove

Information assurance unit,

If you are emailing a valid Freedom of Information request please treat
this as a formal acknowledgement.

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, known hereafter as ‘the Act’. You should receive a
response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined in
the Act (from when Lancashire Constabulary receive a valid request).

Please note that disclosure is subject to the information not being exempt
or containing a reference to a third party.

Some requests may also require either full or partial transference to
another public authority in order to answer your query in the fullest
possible way. Again, you will be informed if this is the case.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Lancashire Constabulary.

Regards,

 

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION TEAM

Lancashire Constabulary

Information Assurance and Vetting

Police Headquarters

Tel: 01772 413324 Web: [1]www.lancashire.police.uk

Email: [2][Lancashire Constabulary request email]      

 

 

 

 

********************************************************************************************

This message may contain information which is confidential or privileged.
If you are not the intended recipient, please advise the sender
immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message and any attachments,
without retaining a copy.

Lancashire Constabulary monitors its emails, and you are advised that any
e-mail you send may be subject to monitoring.

This e-mail has been scanned for the presence of computer viruses.

********************************************************************************************

References

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1. http://www.lancashire.police.uk/
http://www.lancashire.police.uk/
2. mailto:[Lancashire Constabulary request email]

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Information assurance unit,

Good morning Angela

I can confirm that the advert we have provided you with does relate to the current contract. Lancashire Constabulary does not hold direct links to the adverts so we cannot provide you with these.

If you are not content with the outcome of your FOIA review, you may write to the Information Commissioner. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Regards

Sharon Glen - 10602
Compliance Team Leader
Professional Standards Department
Information Compliance and Disclosure Section
Lancashire Constabulary Headquarters

Tel: 01772 412504
Email: [email address]

-----Original Message-----
From: Angela Snodgrove [mailto:[FOI #323348 email]]
Sent: 28 April 2016 11:08
To: Information assurance unit
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Current Contract CRG Medical Services

Dear Information assurance unit,

Your attachment is outdated. Unfortunately, due to the fact that I had already checked BLUELIGHT and the EU JOURNAL and found NOTHING except for the details of the award itself, I do not believe proper procedures were followed.

Please give me the DIRECT LINKS to the ads that you SAY were placed, because there is no evidence whatsoever of any advertisements.

The internal note that you sent me appears to be an attempt to deceive. It was dated 2011. I am asking about the CURRENT contract, and you have shown no evidence of proper tendering process being followed at all.

Please send me copies of all advertisements OR DIRECT LINKS to the Invitations to Tender placed in all publications, including Bluelight, the EU JOURNAL (REQUIRED BY EU REGULATIONS) Contrax, and the rest.

What you sent is evidence of absolutely nothing.

I look forward to receiving legitimate information.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Angela Snodgrove

-----Original Message-----

Dear Angela

I write further to your email below. As you have expressed dissatisfaction in the Constabulary's response, we have conducted an internal review of the Constabulary's original decision to refuse to reply the bidders list by virtue of Section 43 (2) of the Freedom of Information Act.

I have concluded that this was incorrectly engaged, and as such please find the requested information detailed below.

The bidders were:-

G4S Facilities Management
Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust
Medacs Healthcare PLC (CRG bought Medacs in Dec 2014 and all police healthcare contracts novated over, hence our contract with CRG) Nestor Primecare Services Ltd

Furthermore, we can provide the following advice in relation to the contract:-

We can confirm that we are a public sector organisation and as such the contract was advertised in line with our own contract standing orders and EU procedures.

The contract opportunity was advertised on the local press and Contrax weekly in September 2011. This was classed as a Part B service under Public Contracts Regulations and therefore at that time there was no requirement to advertise it in OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union). The contracting opportunity was also published on the Bluelight e tendering system for bidders to view the opportunity and submit an expression of interest on 28 Sept 2011. Once the contract was awarded, after the assessment and evaluation process that was detailed within the invitation to tender, a contract award notice was published in the OJEU (a requirement for Part B services).

I note that further to your original request submitted you have also asked for a copy of the advertisement. You will find a copy attached to this email.

If you are not content with the outcome of your FOIA review, you may write to the Information Commissioner. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Regards

Sharon Glen - 10602
Compliance Team Leader
Professional Standards Department
Information Compliance and Disclosure Section Lancashire Constabulary Headquarters

Tel: 01772 412504
Email: [email address]

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #323348 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the latest advice from the ICO:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

********************************************************************************************

This message may contain information which is confidential or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please advise the sender immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message and any attachments, without retaining a copy.

Lancashire Constabulary monitors its emails, and you are advised that any e-mail you send may be subject to monitoring.

This e-mail has been scanned for the presence of computer viruses.

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Angela Snodgrove

Dear Information assurance unit,

What you provided was a typed up internal note and NOT A PUBLISHED ADVERTISEMENT.

It would appear that there is an intent to deceive. This is absolutely no proof that Lancashire Constabulary has complied with the public tendering regulations. It is quite obvious that your purchasing/contracts department has not followed the rules of public tender if you cannot show me a copy of the published advertisement.

(a)If this contract was advertised in the press, then please show me the press clipping and invoice.

(b) If this contract was advertised in the European Journal, which it should have been according to regulations, then please give me the tender number, so that I can find the advertisement on ted.europa.eu.

If you cannot provide the tender number, then Lancashire Constabulary is in serious violation of both EU and UK law. I suggest you make the effort and stop issuing internal notes that prove nothing whatsoever, other than there is an intent to deceive regarding a contract worth well in excess of 1 million p.a.

The contract has to be "adequately" advertised and fair competition run thereafter.

Contracts must be advertised by way of an OJEU notice i.e. a standard form notice placed in the EU's Official Journal. Use of the standard form notices is mandatory, and they are available on the EU's SIMAPweb site.

Do you still insist that all you have is a piece of paper, quickly knocked up, asking that an advertisement be placed, and no proof whatsoever that you followed EU and UK rules?

This is a very serious matter, and I suggest you go back to the drawing board and then provide me with the tender number registered by TED.EUROPA.EU.

I want to see the list of bidders who submitted, and the bids too please.

Yours sincerely,

Angela Snodgrove

Information assurance unit,

If you are emailing a valid Freedom of Information request please treat
this as a formal acknowledgement.

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, known hereafter as ‘the Act’. You should receive a
response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined in
the Act (from when Lancashire Constabulary receive a valid request).

Please note that disclosure is subject to the information not being exempt
or containing a reference to a third party.

Some requests may also require either full or partial transference to
another public authority in order to answer your query in the fullest
possible way. Again, you will be informed if this is the case.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Lancashire Constabulary.

Regards,

 

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION TEAM

Lancashire Constabulary

Information Assurance and Vetting

Police Headquarters

Tel: 01772 413324 Web: [1]www.lancashire.police.uk

Email: [2][Lancashire Constabulary request email]      

 

 

 

 

********************************************************************************************

This message may contain information which is confidential or privileged.
If you are not the intended recipient, please advise the sender
immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message and any attachments,
without retaining a copy.

Lancashire Constabulary monitors its emails, and you are advised that any
e-mail you send may be subject to monitoring.

This e-mail has been scanned for the presence of computer viruses.

********************************************************************************************

References

Visible links
1. http://www.lancashire.police.uk/
http://www.lancashire.police.uk/
2. mailto:[Lancashire Constabulary request email]

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Angela Snodgrove

Dear Information assurance unit,

Please also provide me with a copy of the current contract.

Yours sincerely,

Angela Snodgrove

Information assurance unit,

If you are emailing a valid Freedom of Information request please treat
this as a formal acknowledgement.

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, known hereafter as ‘the Act’. You should receive a
response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined in
the Act (from when Lancashire Constabulary receive a valid request).

Please note that disclosure is subject to the information not being exempt
or containing a reference to a third party.

Some requests may also require either full or partial transference to
another public authority in order to answer your query in the fullest
possible way. Again, you will be informed if this is the case.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Lancashire Constabulary.

Regards,

 

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION TEAM

Lancashire Constabulary

Information Assurance and Vetting

Police Headquarters

Tel: 01772 413324 Web: [1]www.lancashire.police.uk

Email: [2][Lancashire Constabulary request email]      

 

 

 

 

********************************************************************************************

This message may contain information which is confidential or privileged.
If you are not the intended recipient, please advise the sender
immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message and any attachments,
without retaining a copy.

Lancashire Constabulary monitors its emails, and you are advised that any
e-mail you send may be subject to monitoring.

This e-mail has been scanned for the presence of computer viruses.

********************************************************************************************

References

Visible links
1. http://www.lancashire.police.uk/
http://www.lancashire.police.uk/
2. mailto:[Lancashire Constabulary request email]

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