Daily Insight: Could this unlikely merger be made?

A high-profile mental health trust that has faced controversy in recent years is seeking to merge with another organisation.

Tavistock and Portman Foundation Trust is one of the smallest providers in the country, with an annual turnover of £67m and a workforce of just more than 800 staff.

Questions have been raised over the trust’s long-term future since NHS England shut down its gender and identity clinic in July 2022. This followed high-profile concerns and an independent review into the unit.

An externally commissioned review also found “multiple” corporate governance concerns and “deep-seated” cultural issues, which leaders vowed to address.

A new chief executive and chair have been appointed since then, but leaders now believe it is time to reassess its model as a standalone organisation.

Leaders have identified five organisations as potential partners, and a decision is expected to be reached during this summer.

The candidates are Central and North West London FT, the North London Mental Health Partnership (Barnet, Enfield, and Haringey, and Camden and Islington trusts), South London and Maudsley FT, and Whittington Health Trust.

Curiously, Camden Council is also being considered but details on how the trust could merge with a local authority remain unclear.

The missing video

A technology company has taken legal action against NHSE for excluding it from a significant procurement framework.

According to documents filed in the High Court, iPlato alleges that NHSE unlawfully determined its tender as incomplete during an initial assessment and consequently excluded it from the digital pathways framework.

The company mistakenly submitted a draft version of the required video (lacking an intended 17-second segment), which NHSE evaluators deemed to be lacking in key information.

Despite iPlato’s request to rectify the submission with the complete video, NHSE refused, citing concerns about unfair treatment compared to other bidders.

iPlato contends that NHSE’s decision violates procurement regulations, arguing that the submitted video contained sufficient information and that NHSE failed to seek clarification on any inconsistencies.

As a result, iPlato faces potential loss of revenue and business opportunities, as the framework is crucial for supplying digital pathway solutions to integrated care boards. The launch of the framework, initially scheduled for early 2024, has been delayed due to the ongoing legal dispute.

NHSE declined to comment, citing the ongoing proceedings.