| Synopsis: |
The Department for Work and Pensions relies on medical assessments to help its decision makers reach an appropriate decision on a customer's entitlement to a wide range of benefits. From April 2013, a new medical assessment will be introduced for Personal Independence Payment. A procurement competition is underway to appoint service providers for this. The Department's contractor for medical services, Atos Healthcare, completed 738,000 face-to-face medical assessments in 2011-12 and charged the Department GBP112.4 million. This performance review examines the Department's contract management and wider strategy for the supply of medical services, including the Department's contractual relationship with Atos Healthcare; the performance management of Atos Healthcare; the future contracting strategy. Amongst key findings, according to the performance data provided, is that Atos Healthcare has not routinely met all the service standards specified in the contract. This report makes a number of recommendations to strengthen existing governance arrangements; to improve performance monitoring and to strengthen the Department's commercial strategy |