Purchasing body for health sector to set up legal panels worth up to £90m

HealthTrust Europe, a central purchasing body for the health sector, has launched the procurement exercise for legal services panels worth £30-90m over two years.

The proposed framework has been divided into eight lots:

• Corporate Governance;
• Healthcare Law;
• Contract and Commercial Law;
• Employment, Pensions and Employee Related Tax Law;
• Property Law and Estates;
• Corporate Finance and Private Finance Initiative/Public Private Partnership Law;
• Intellectual Property, IT, Telecoms, Media and eCommerce Law;
• Environmental Law.

The framework will be made available to all NHS bodies in Engand, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as all social enterprises “undertaking some or all of what were previously the service provider functions of contracting authorities in relation to health and/or social care services”. 

It will also be available to other contracting authorities such as ministerial departments, local authorities, emergency services, educational establishments and registered providers of social housing.

In 2011 the legal services department at Birmingham City Council secured a spot on HealthTrust Europe’s current framework, alongside a range of law firms.