Issue - meetings

The Chief Operating Officer to present a report which provides an overview of the sickness processes put in place under the contract with Medigold, feedback on the impact on sickness rates and options for the future, and seeks approval to extend the contract with Medigold for a further year after its expiry in September 2021.

Resolved:  That approval be given to extend the contract with Medigold for one year, at a cost of £90k.

Reason:     So that a full assessment of the benefit can be made.

The HR Manager presented a report which provided an overview of the sickness processes put in place under the contract with Medigold, feedback on their impact on sickness levels in the council, and options for the future.

The following options were presented for consideration, as detailed in paragraphs 40-46 of the report:

Option 1 – continue with the Medigold agreement for a further year to assess its impact and benefits.  This was the recommended option, on the basis of the results of the agreement to date and responses to consultation with staff, managers and trades unions.

Option 2 – go to market for a similar supplier and negotiate the lowest possible cost.  This would need extra resources, and better suppliers were unlikely to be found.

Option 3 – return to the original iTrent model.  This would take a small project team about 3 months.

Option 4 – return to the iTrent model with additional resources in HR.

The Executive Member for Finance & Performance commended the proposal to Members.  In response to comments made under Public Participation, he confirmed that the contract had always been intended as a short term intervention and it was hoped to move the service back in-house in the future.

Resolved:  That approval be given to extend the contract with Medigold for one year, at a cost of £90k.

Reason:     So that a full assessment of the benefit can be made.