Councillor Tehseen Khan, Cabinet Member for Health & Social Care, approved additional expenditure and a final payment to Accora Limited for community equipment services. The decision regularised expenditure that exceeded the initial approved budget due to unforeseen circumstances.

Approval of Additional Expenditure and Final Payment to Accora Limited

Councillor Tehseen Khan, Cabinet Member for Health & Social Care, approved the variation of a contract with Accora Ltd, authorising additional expenditure and a final payment totalling £663,178.94. This amount is £163,179.94 over the previously approved maximum value of £499,999. The payment settles an accrued liability for services already delivered and accepted by the Council, and does not constitute approval for any new service provision or further contractual commitment.

The decision was necessary because Accora Limited provided short-term community equipment services following the receivership of the previous provider, NRS Healthcare, in August 2025. This urgent measure was put in place to ensure the continuity of a critical statutory service that supports hospital discharges, prevents hospital admissions, and enables residents to remain independent at home. The service involves the delivery of over 36,000 pieces of equipment annually, including a catalogue of more than 600 items, prescribed by health and social care practitioners.

The arrangement with Accora Limited was commissioned under exceptional circumstances to mitigate the significant risk to service continuity posed by NRS Healthcare's collapse. The absence of community equipment provision would have had an immediate impact on vulnerable residents and affected the Council's ability to fulfil its statutory responsibilities under legislation including the Care Act 2014¹.

The original Director's Award Report had authorised the arrangement up to a maximum aggregate value of £499,999. However, due to the high volume of equipment delivered during the interim period and complexities in invoice reconciliation, the total expenditure exceeded this limit. The final validated outstanding liability of £163,179.94 needed to be settled to avoid potential legal action, additional costs, and reputational damage.

Alternative options considered included taking no further action, which was not recommended as it would leave a validated liability outstanding, and seeking a further delegated decision, which would breach the Council's Standing Orders. The recommended option was to regularise the final aggregate expenditure and pay the remaining validated accrued liability.

The report noted that the outstanding liability would be met through the Disabled Facilities Grant², which is assumed in the current forecast. The variation of the contract was also deemed permissible under the Procurement Act 2023³.