Health and Disability Assessment Services (HDAS)

Tender description

Further to the VEAT notice issued on 10 July 2020 REF. NO 2020/S 135-333758, DWP shall enter into a Contract Variation of the Health and Disability Assessment Services (HDAS) with the incumbent supplier following a period of 10 days from the date of publication of this notice. The Contract Variation provides for an extension of two (2) years from 01.08.2021 - 31.07.2023. Lot 1: On 5 March 2020 DWP published a prior information notice (PIN) signalling its intent to re-procure this contract in accordance with Section 7 of the PCR. Within days of this, the Covid-19 Pandemic hit the UK and significantly impacted DWP including delivery of health assessments and the planned procurement. The impact of COVID-19 meant the Department were unable to launch the procurement as planned. Extensions to the existing contracts are needed to fully understand and evaluate the impacts of COVID-19 ahead of future procurements as well as to stabilise the assessment service and resource. The impact of Covid-19 has been, and continues to be, very significant. The assessment service has had to be very quickly adapted, in particular to suspend face to face assessments, and mobilise alternative methods of delivery to support claimants. Alongside this departmental and supplier staff and resources have had to be restructured and redeployed to help deliver DWP and the wider government's operational response to COVID-19. DWP has also consulted with the market on the impacts of COVID-19. Given that Work Capability Assessments (WCA) undertaken as part of the Contract Services support critical statutory welfare benefits that cater for vulnerable people, a gap in service provision is not an option. DWP therefore consider it necessary to extend the Contract for up to 2 years in order to (i) stabilise the assessment service (ii) ensure a continuous service for these complex and vitally important services, which support delivery of statutory welfare benefits to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable claimants each year; and (iii) allow DWP to fully understand and evaluate the impacts of COVID-19 on the assessment services we require of the market ahead of future procurements. DWP will continue engaging with the market to discuss the future transition of HDAS and the future of health assessments more broadly. DWP will build in periodic reviews to understand the developing Covid impact and we will continue to review suitability of the 2 year extension.