National award win puts Wirral Council in the spotlight
A Wirral Council-led partnership has been recognised with the highest honour at the UK National Procurement GO Awards after transforming how specialist drug and alcohol treatment services are commissioned across Cheshire and Merseyside.
Wirral Council's Procurement and Public Health Teams, supported by colleagues from MIAA Solutions, working on behalf of the Cheshire and Merseyside Inpatient Detoxification Consortium, won the National Collaborative Procurement Initiative Award. The project was subsequently selected as the overall winner of the evening, receiving the prestigious GO Excellence Award.
Bringing together all nine local authorities across Cheshire and Merseyside, alongside Public Health colleagues and provider partners, the consortium developed a new collaborative approach to procuring inpatient detoxification services.
The objective was clear: to make it easier for people to access the right support at the right time, while increasing choice, improving outcomes, and delivering better value across the system.
The benefits are already being realised, with service users experiencing:
- Greater choice of approved providers
- More personalised and clinically appropriate placements
- Improved recovery outcomes and increased opportunities for sustained abstinence
- Faster access to specialist support when it is needed most
The new collaborative model also delivers significant advantages for partners across the region, including:
- Reduced duplication of procurement activity across nine local authorities
- Improved efficiency and consistency in commissioning arrangements
- Real-time financial monitoring and performance oversight
- Stronger provider relationships and greater market stability
- Enhanced collaboration between commissioners, Public Health teams and service providers
This project shows what can be achieved when organisations work together with a shared goal. By bringing together partners from across Cheshire and Merseyside, our Procurement and Public Health Teams have helped create a service that gives people better access to support, more choice and improved outcomes.
The award recognises the dedication, expertise and commitment of everyone involved and highlights Wirral Council's role in leading innovative work that is making a real difference to people's lives.
