DAC 156/22 - DfI - DVA - Provision of Professional Medical Advisory Services relating to DVA License Applications

Concepts

• dva
• health and social work
• belfast
• occupational health services
• required medical fitness
• medical assessment service
• dva license applications
• time dva
• qualified medical officers
• medical assessments

Location

Northern Ireland:

Description

This DAC is to provide Occupational Health Services to the DVA, acting on behalf of the Department for Infrastructure. As a result of reducing resources and additional work demands, OHS’ specialist medical assessment service provider are currently experiencing difficulties in delivering the medical assessment service for driver assessments which they carry out for the Driver & Vehicle Agency (an Agency of the Department for Infrastructure). These are urgent, critical services. The ability to procure these services to support will safeguard the delivery of fitness to drive medical assessments to the DVA.

Total Quantity or Scope

DVA are required to be satisfied that a driver meets the required medical fitness to drive standards as part of the licensing consideration. This may be done in-house by DVA staff who assess the information available, or by referring the case to the qualified medical officers who may be able to assess the case on the information provided, request further information or determine that a specialist medical assessment is required, in which case the driver is referred to the OHS’ specialist medical assessment service provider. … These are urgent, critical services. The ability to procure these services to support will safeguard the delivery of fitness to drive medical assessments to the DVA. There are capacity and capability issues in this sector, with competing demand for resources in both the private and public sector and the Department must act quickly to secure essential support. This DAC provides support for a period of up to 24 months. During this time DVA will continue to consider options and seek to implement a longer term solution to secure the provision of fitness to drive medical assessments. Services must be covered in the interim to cover statutory responsibilities. These are urgent, critical, citizen facing services. There is no option to do nothing and it is in the public interest to expedite the appointment of a contractor.

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• 85000000 - Health and social work services

Legal Justification

The provider is an established and experienced occupational health service provider, and they have confirmed that they can deliver a range of occupational health services to assist the DVA. The ability to procure these services to support OHS activities will safeguard the delivery of critical, citizen facing services. Approval is being sought to procure these services through a Direct Award Contract (DAC) as an interim arrangement while longer term solutions are implemented. Under Regulation 32 of PCR 2015 (as amended), there are derogations to award a contract to a single supplier where the supplies or services can only be supplied by a particular supplier. In this case specifically applying the derogation under Regulation 32(2)(c) whereby it is strictly necessary where, for reasons of extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable by the contracting authority, the time limits for the open or restricted procedures or competitive procedures with negotiation cannot be complied with.

Other Information

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