Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership-Procurement Services (hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust)
4-5 Charnwood Court,, Heol Billingsley, Parc Nantgarw
Cardiff
CF15 7QZ
UK
Contact person: Sara Pell
Telephone: +44 2921501500
E-mail: sara.pell@wales.nhs.uk
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://nwssp.nhs.wales/ourservices/procurement-services/
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA0221
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Health
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
MEDICAL ASSESSMENTS (DEPRIVATION OF LIBERTY SAFEGUARDS)
Reference number: HDDA-CP-57572
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85100000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
Hywel Dda University Health Board (HDUHB), in its role as a Supervisory Body under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), is required to commission assessors in response to requests for DoLS Authorisations from its Managing Authorities. Requests for assessments are received from across the Health Board’s inpatient locations, which include its four general hospitals, four community hospitals and its mental health and learning disability units. HDUHB employs its own team of Best Interest Assessors (BIAs) but needs to commission suitably qualified “Medical” Assessors to undertake the Mental Health and Eligibility assessments for adults aged eighteen (18) or over (DoLS Form 4)
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
67 500.00
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
85100000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKL14
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Hywel Dda University Health Board (HDUHB), in its role as a Supervisory Body under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), is required to commission assessors in response to requests for DoLS Authorisations from its Managing Authorities. Requests for assessments are received from across the Health Board’s inpatient locations, which include its four general hospitals, four community hospitals and its mental health and learning disability units. HDUHB employs its own team of Best Interest Assessors (BIAs) but needs to commission suitably qualified “Medical” Assessors to undertake the Mental Health and Eligibility assessments for adults aged eighteen (18) or over (DoLS Form 4).
The assessors and assessments must meet the criteria as set out in Schedule A1 Mental Capacity Act 2005 and The Mental Capacity (Deprivation of Liberty: Assessments, Standard Authorisations and Disputes about Residence) (Wales) Regulations 2009.
All assessments are to be conducted face to face unless agreed by prior arrangement.
All assessors working on this project must:
- Be willing to comply with national and local policies and protocols on Covid-19 and safe visits to hospitals including but not limited to providing negative lateral flow tests if required on the days of assessments.
- Be Section 12 approved and have an in depth applied knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA), DoLS, and relevant case law as well as an understanding of the legislative framework that applies in Wales (Including Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014(SSWB(W)A) and the Welsh Language standards).
- Be experienced in DoLS assessments and be able to produce assessments to a high quality.
- Be culturally and linguistically sensitive to the needs of people in line with the principles of the MCA.
- Be able to evidence that relevant checks have been made and documented on all professionals working on this project to include DBS certificate, insurance, professional qualification, and registration, annual DoLS refresher training, and relevant skills and experience.
- Provide high quality, legally defensible assessments required in accordance with the relevant codes of practice under MCA and DoLS codes of practice. Please see appendix C.
- Provide person-centred assessments accessible to the audience including the person’s family and the Managing Authority, with minimal case law references (not required unless necessary and relevant to the specific case).
- Be able to evidence comprehensive and robust quality assurance measures.
- Complete all assessments and reports to comply with Welsh regulations which provides for 21 days from instruction to completion of the DoLS assessments where a request for a Standard Authorisation has been made or within a specified shorter time frame for priority cases with prior agreement.
- Provide a flexible service for an average of five (5) assessments per week based on the number of referrals in any given week.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion: Technical
/ Weighting: 50
Quality criterion: Foundational Economy
/ Weighting: 20
Price
/ Weighting:
30
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
No
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2025/S 000-042373
Section V: Award of contract
Contract No: HDDA-CP-57572
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
11/09/2025
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 2
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 2
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 2
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Liquid Personnel
Sevendale House, Dale Street
Manchester
M11JB
UK
NUTS: UKD3
The contractor is an SME:
No
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 67 500.00
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
This is a Provider Selection Regime Wales (PSR Wales) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Services (Provider Selection Regime) (Wales) Regulations 2025. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015/Procurement Act 2023 do not apply to this award. The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be made to decision makers by 22nd September. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR Wales
(WA Ref:155644)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
High Court
Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
UK
Telephone: +44 2079477501
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
11/09/2025