DAC Beachcroft, Kennedys, Hill Dickinson, Browne Jacobson and Weightmans are among 14 firms to have won places on the NHS Litigation Authority’s (NHSLA) expanded services legal panel, with a total legal spend of around £400m over four years.
The body that deals with claims from patients who have been harmed whilst under the care of the NHS today announced the conclusion of its two-month procurement process across three sub-panels: clinical liability; non-clinical liability; and regulatory, health and disciplinary (RHD).
The above-named firms stand out for winning a place on each of the three sub-panels. Also appointed to the clinical liability panel – which with an estimated annual legal spend of £70-80m is the most significant of the three – are Berrymans Lace Mawer; Bevan Brittan; Capsticks; Clyde & Co; Hempsons and Ward Hadaway.
Berrymans also won a second spot on the six-strong non-clinical liability panel with an estimated annual spend of between £10-15m.
The RHD panel, which has the smallest annual spend of between £2-5m, saw a second panel win for Capsticks; Hempsons and Ward Hadaway, alongside one time panel winners Field Fisher Waterhouse; Mills & Reeve and Morgan Cole.
The new contract, which went live on 28 May with a lifespan of four years, is based on fixed hourly rates, with firms providing ‘additional valued services’ to support the NHS, in an approach which is expected to deliver substantial savings.
According to the NHSLA, it has secured more competitive terms from the firms involved by running the procurement process across all 16 Department of Health organisations, which previously procured their own legal advice.
The firms will provide advice on health related issues including clinical and other negligence and specialist healthcare regulator advice to organisations including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Professional Standards Authority and Public Health England.
NHSLA chief executive Catherine Dixon said: ‘We’re delighted to have secured what I am confident will be excellent quality legal services for the NHS at a price which ensures value for money.’
The NHSLA, which slashed its external advisers from 90 to 15 back in 2002, kicked off its tender process in March this year.
The number of firms on the clinical liability panel, last appointed in 2008, has increased from 10 to 11 while the organisation has reduced the number of firms on the non-clinical liability panel, which was last reviewed in 2009, from seven to six.
A complete list is as follows:
Clinical liability
- Berrymans Lace Mawer
- Bevan Brittan
- Browne Jacobson
- Capsticks
- Clyde & Co
- DAC Beachcroft
- Hempsons
- Hill Dickinson
- Kennedys
- Ward Hadaway
- Weightmans
Non-clinical liability
- Berrymans Lace Mawer
- Browne Jacobson
- DAC Beachcroft
- Hill Dickinson
- Kennedys
- Weightmans
Regulatory, health and disciplinary
- Browne Jacobson
- Capsticks
- DAC Beachcroft
- Field Fisher Waterhouse
- Hempsons
- Hill Dickinson
- Kennedys
- Mills & Reeve
- Morgan Cole
- Ward Hadaway
- Weightmans
The 15 organisations to benefit from these panels are: Care Quality Commission, Health Education England, Health Research Authority, Health and Social Care Information Centre, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, Human Tissue Authority, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, Monitor, NHS Blood and Transplant, NHS Commissioning Board, The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, NHS Litigation Authority, NHS Trust Development Authority, Professional Standards Authority, Public Health England.
francesca.fanshawe@legalease.co.uk