SPOTLIGHT
Shelved 400px

What now for deprivations of liberty?

What will the effect of the postponement of the Liberty Protections Safeguards be on local authorities? Local Government Lawyer asked 50 adult social care lawyers for their views on the potential consequences.
SPOTLIGHT

A zero sum game?

The number of SEND tribunal cases is rising and the proportion of appeals ‘lost’ by local authorities is at a record high. Lottie Winson talks to education lawyers to understand the reasons why, and sets out the results of Local Government Lawyer’s exclusive survey.

NHS Commercial Solutions to procure £150m legal services framework

NHS Commercial Solutions is to procure a legal services framework worth an estimated £150m.

The organisation said it was “seeking to procure, through a framework agreement, a panel of suitably qualified and experienced providers of legal services to provide expert guidance to NHS and potentially other public sector organisations”.

It added that the purpose of the procurement was to facilitate the provision of the services on any of:

  1. a case by case basis
  2. a periodical basis (e.g., for a period of 12 months)
  3. a retainer basis or
  4. in support of a specific project.

The categories of law for which services are expected to be required include, but are not necessarily limited to:

  • commercial and corporate law
  • employment law
  • property law
  • health law
  • primary care law
  • mental health law
  • healthcare projects and
  • NHS governance and public law.

The estimated total value of the framework agreement is expected to be £150m.

The contract is due to start on 1 February 2023 and run until 31 January 2027.

NHS Commercial Solutions’ announcement came in the same week that NHS Shared Business Services said it would procure a national £200m legal services framework.