Decision details

The Cabinet Member approved the following.

1. A competitive procurement for the re-commission of the Prevention of Sexual Ill Health Service as a shared service contracted to work across the Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council areas. This is with one local authority taking the lead on the procurement. The five year contract will operate from the 1st of April 2020 to 31st March 2025, with break points at Year 3 and 4.

2. Authorised the delegation of authority to Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) to act as lead local authority in commissioning the Prevention of Sexual Ill Health across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire and for delivery of the function of the service to CCC, which shall include the associated transfer of funding to CCC for up to five years (1st April 2020 to 30th September 2025).

The rational for having one contract for both Authorities is that it is a more effective use of resources across the both areas.

During 2019/20 the Integrated Contraception and Sexual Health Services (iCaSH) are being recommissioned as one contract for a shared service across the two Authorities. The Prevention and the iCaSH services work collaboratively in some aspects of their work. This will enable any synergies between the contracts to be considered in the development of the two service specifications.

The focus of the Prevention of Sexual Ill Health Service is generally non-clinical and provision is usually from the voluntary sector. Across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough there are a small number of voluntary organisations, each have varied experiences and skills in relation to sexual health prevention and HIV support. The procurement is seeking a collaborative contractual approach between voluntary organisations that would enable the best use of their experience and skills.

Do not tender the services collaboratively across the two local authority areas

This option has been excluded primarily because it would not provide the opportunity to establish a more cost effective service model and utilize the differing skills that organisations across the two areas hold.

None.

Public Health England: Sexual Health, Reproductive Health and HIV: A Review of Commissioning 2017