5.22 Payment mechanisms and fee levels agreed with advisers must be carefully considered by NHS bodies to ensure that best value is achieved and that the risks of cost and related impact of time overruns are strictly controlled. Experienced advisers should be able to offer terms that meet these requirements by focusing effort on areas of genuine added value and helping to control project cost overruns, for example by capping fees to an agreed level.
5.23 NHS bodies should expect the most competitive arrangements on advisory services where there is already significant market experience (for example in the development of pre-qualification documents), which means that fixed price agreements are achievable or where advisers are competing strongly for business. Confidence among advisers that the procurement process proposed by the NHSScotland body is well-managed and that they can work with management will also reduce costs.