Chamber and committees

This is a matter for National Procurement, a division of NHS National Services Scotland, which advise that the NP506 wigs contract must be tendered in line with EU Procurement Legislation timescales, and will be re-tendered at least every four years with the possibility of a change of supplier(s) after every tender.

For the latest contract, three of the four incumbent suppliers will continue on to the new contract, along with three new suppliers. Additionally, agents of the unsuccessful incumbent supplier may have the opportunity to become an agent for one of the successful suppliers to aid continuity of service. NHS Health boards will be involved with patients regarding any change to their supplier.

This is a matter for National Procurement, a division of NHS National Services Scotland, who advise that the NP506/13 Contract was awarded against the criteria of Cost, Quality of Premises and Health Board coverage.

The Quality of Premises criteria are based on a pass/fail against the essential features of the premises within the Invitation to Tender (ITT) response. Those premises that met the essential features at the paper submission stage were visited by NHS boards to ensure that they met these features and were also scored against the features. The Quality of Premises evaluation comprised 20% of the overall tender score.

National Procurement, a division of NHS Services Scotland, advise that they do not hold information about supplier meetings with Maggie’s Centre representatives as this was not part of the tender process, but it will be developed if required by NHS boards as the contract is rolled out.

National Procurement, a division of NHS National Services Scotland, advise that under the new contract for wigs and associated hairpieces from 1 June 2013, there will be one agent located within Fife, namely Sutherlands Hair and Beauty based in Newport-on-Tay.

This is a matter for National Procurement, a division of NHS National Services Scotland, who advise that NHS health boards will provide patients with the options available to them about supplier provision and any issues will be fed back to National Procurement.

National Procurement has also developed an online patient survey to allow patient feedback to be gathered about supplier performance.

National Procurement, a division of NHS National Services Scotland, advise that the supplier Dimples will initially be operating through two agents in Glasgow, with the potential to add more agents to service the contract if required.

National Procurement, a division of NHS National Services Scotland, advise that under the current Wigs contract which expires on 31 May 2013, there were three suppliers that were able to provide services in place of Turvey’s, with one of those suppliers buying over the business to ensure that open orders/prescriptions are fulfilled. As of 1 June 2013, under the NP506/13 Contract, there will be a further three new suppliers able to provide these services in Scotland.

The information requested is not held centrally. National Procurement, a division of NHS National Services Scotland, advise that the Minimum Standard Customer Service expected from each contract supplier was stated within the NP506/13 Wigs Contract. These are:

Patients given friendly welcome to the premises

Patients treated with respect and courtesy at all times

Patients given sufficient time to make wig selection

Patients shown sufficient range of wigs

Knowledgeable and appropriately trained staff

Staff able to style and cut wigs

Empathetic staff with good listening skills

Sufficient information given to patients at the time of consultation/fitting

Sufficient information regarding care of wigs given to patients to take with them.

National Procurement, a division of NHS National Services Scotland advise that contract suppliers source and provide a variety of wigs designed to meet patient requirements.

National Procurement, a division of NHS National Services Scotland, advise that the new contract for wigs and associated services was tendered on the basis that suppliers and the agents must meet essential features for their premises. It is the responsibility of those tendering to ensure that these features are met.