Birmingham City Council’s legal services department has secured its place on an NHS framework contract, supplying 70 health trusts in the Midlands and South East.
Under the Health Trust Europe Legal Services agreement, estimated to be worth £8.8m over the initial three-year contract lifespan, the council’s lawyers will be able to dispense employment, contract and commercial legal services.
During the last year, the department, employing 250 people, has undergone a ‘quiet revolution’ in opening up partnership opportunities with the wider public sector, including neighbouring local authorities, London boroughs and the Home Office.
In acknowledgment of the unit’s commercial ambitions, the council is launching a legal services trading arm, LSB Law and a dedicated training division, LSB Law Conferencing.
Shortly due to relocate to dedicated modern offices in the city centre, the legal teams hope to extend their service offering to the wider public sector, including schools, universities, housing associations and fire and rescue authorities.
Director of Legal & Democratic Services, David Tatlow, said: ‘We are determined to continue to find efficiency savings for both the council and the wider public sector through very competitive charging rates – due to our low cost base and pricing compared with private sector firms.’
