Decision details

The Cabinet Member:

1.         Authorised the continued delegation of authority to Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) to act as lead local authority in covid-19 testing, including delivering community lateral flow testing and commissioning the COVID-19 Urgent and Surge Community Swabbing Service across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire and for delivery of the function of the service, which shall include the associated transfer of funding to CCC from 18 July 2021 until 31 March 2022, with the option to extend the delegation for a further period of 12 months until 31 March 2023 .  CCC shall enter into contract with the supplier for the delivery of this service.

To ensure that the local testing service provides a swift response that is accessible to the local population (defining how to prioritise and manage deployment) and the ability of the local testing system to be able to respond swiftly once a complex cluster or setting has been identified through the national NHS Test and Trace initiative or through any other national or local stakeholders; e.g. East of England PHE Centre.

The continued delegating of authority to CCC to act as lead local authority in commissioning the COVID-19 Urgent and Surge Community Swabbing Service across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire and for delivery of the function of the community lateral flow testing service is recommended on the basis of strategic and geographical practicalities.

For CCC and PCC to commission the outbreak service and deliver the community lateralflow testing service separately, however given that the services will generally be provided within the boundaries of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Local Authority areas there are clear efficiencies  in having one service across the two Local authority areas

None.

None.