Decision details

To seek approval to procure sexual health services for Barnet and Harrow in collaboration with other London Boroughs.  To seek delegated authority for the Director of Public Health to award contract to the successful bidder, in consultation with relevant Portfolio Holders and Senior Officers.

Following a correction to ‘Sub Regions proposed’, the table on page 132 of the agenda refers, in that Harrow was participating in the Outer North West (NWL) sub-region procurement rather than the Inner NWL project as stated in the report and that the inner boroughs were ‘Hammersmith and Fulham (H&F), Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (K&C), Westminster’ and the outer boroughs were ‘Brent, Harrow, Ealing’ it was

RESOLVED:  That

(1)          the Council’s participation in a pan-London procurement for a web-based system to include a ‘front-end’ portal, joined up partner notification and home/self-sampling, be approved;

(2)          the Council’s participation in North West London (NWL) outer sub-regional arrangements with Brent and Ealing Councils for the procurement of Genitourinary Medicine (GUM) and Contraception and Sexual Health Service (CaSH) Services and other local authority commissioned sexual health services, such as primary care sexual health services, outreach and prevention including HIV, be approved;

(3)          authority to award contracts, as set out in the resolutions 1 and 2 above, be delegated to the Director of Public Health or appropriate Director, following consultation with the Corporate Director of People, Director of Finance and the Portfolio Holders for Finance and Major Contracts and Public Health, Equality and Wellbeing or appropriate alternatives;

(4)          the Director of Public Health be authorised to approve the Council’s participation in pan-London agreements on cross charging and lead commissioning and enter into any associated legal agreements;

(5)          the progress made in developing options for the future commissioning and procurement of GUM services and the named inclusion of the Harrow and Barnet Council onto the Prior Indicative Notice (PIN) and in the Official Journal of European Union (OJEU) be noted.

Reason for Decision:  GUM and CaSH are statutory services and the contracts would be funded wholly from the Public Health budget allocation.  To procure a new service and to enter into any collaborative arrangements with other London Councils.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member/Dispensation Granted:  None.