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A partnership led by the council has won a national award for drugs and alcohol treatment.
The award was won at the UK National Procurement GO Awards after transforming how specialist drug and alcohol treatment services are commissioned across Cheshire and Merseyside, according to Birkenhead News.
The council's Procurement and Public Health Teams, supported by colleagues from MIAA Solutions and working on behalf of the Cheshire and Merseyside Inpatient Detoxification Consortium, won the National Collaborative Procurement Initiative Award. Not that that, but the project was the big winner of the evening, and also snatched the GO Excellence Award.
Nine local authorities across Cheshire and Merseyside were brought together alongside Public Health colleagues and provider partners to develop a new collaborative approach to procuring inpatient detoxification services.
They wanted to make it easier for people to access support when they need it while giving them more choices and improving patient outcomes.
Those using the services provided by the new partnership are benefiting from more choices of service providers, more personalised placement, better recovery post-treatment, and faster access to specialist support when needed.
The new model is expected to benefit partners across the region by encouraging closer collaboration between commissioners, Public Health teams and service providers. It will also cut duplication in procurement across the nine local authorities, improve the efficiency and consistency of commissioning, enable real-time financial and performance monitoring, and strengthen relationships with providers.
Councillor Julia McManus, Wirral Council Deputy Leader, said in a statement: "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."
Ms McManus continued by saying the award recognises the "dedication, expertise and commitment" of those involved.
