Commissioners of UK’s largest equipment service request CECOPS accreditation for providers

Birmingham has one of the largest health and social care community equipment services in the UK, serving a population of over one million. The service is run jointly between health and social care, and is currently out to tender. CECOPS recently worked with the commissioners to ensure the tender specification included adherence with the Code of Practice as a requirement. As a result the successful Provider MUST be registered with CECOPS and become accredited within one year of being awarded the contract.

A lead commissioner responsible for tendering the equipment service said, “In Birmingham, we found the CECOPS Code of Practice really useful in updating our specification for our recent tender.  It helped to have all the background information in one place and to have a system of quality assurance to demand of providers” Shirley Malloy, Birmingham and Solihull NHS Cluster

Brian Donnelly, CECOPS CEO, says, “We have been approached by several organisations recently asking if they can include CECOPS’ registration and accreditation as a mandatory requirement within their tender specifications. We have also started talking to some Clinical Commissioning Groups about commissioning community disability services. In the light of the recent official endorsements from Care Quality Commission, Association of Directors of Social Services and Health and Safety Executive, with many others to follow, I am certain compliance with the CECOPS Code of Practice will soon be a requirement for every equipment service provider, also extending to clinical staff.”

We would be pleased to work with any commissioning authority (e.g. CCGs) wishing to include the CECOPS Code of Practice as a requirement within a tender specification. Please send queries to info@cecops.org.uk.