Decision Maker: Cabinet

Outcome: Decision approved

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Date of Decision: November 5, 2024

Purpose:

Content: Decision   For the reasons set out in the report and its appendices Cabinet RESOLVED to Agree:   i)  To approve the commissioning intentions for Specialist SRH Services set out in this report;   ii)  That commissioners can pursue a direct award of an eight-year contract (five years with three optional one-year extension periods) for the provision of statutory Specialist Sexual and Relationship Health (SRH) services to Barts Health NHS Trust (the incumbent provider) under ‘Direct Award Procedure C’ of the Provider Selection Regime 2023 (PSR) regulations; and waive the Contracts Standing Orders as required for award;   iii)  To delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Adults and Health, in consultation with the Lead Member for Health and Adult Social Care, to:   ·  award the contract, and any annual changes to baselines tariffs and work packages. ·  extend the contract up to the maximum permitted extension of three years.   iv)  To note the estimated total value of the contract to Newham is £32-36 million over eight years; and   v)  To note the award of the contract will be subject to each All East Borough’s agreement that the contract should be awarded.   Alternatives Considered   a)  These services are statutory and need to be commissioned in some form. The main consideration, therefore, was the appropriate procurement approach. A competitive process was considered and ultimately rejected for the following reasons:   ·  Directors and Commissioners across NEL agree that a transformational approach is not required at this time. This level of service overhaul (i.e. the integration of GUM and CASH, implementation of a London-wide tariff and online e-service) was undertaken successfully between 2015 and 2018. The positive impact of that transformational process remains in place today. ·  Our residents have told us that they value the service delivered by the incumbent provider: The current model was developed following engagement with over 5,000 residents across north east London (NEL). Furthermore, more recent engagement and ‘Mystery Shopping’ work undertaken by NEL commissioners in collaboration with providers indicated that the quality of the service was almost universally high across clinic settings. ·  Newham Council runs the ‘NEL Shared Commissioning Service’ for SRH services. Legal and Procurement capacity within the Council is severely limited as the Council undertakes a long-term strategic restructure of corporate support services. As such, specialist Legal and Procurement capacity would need to be ‘bought in’ from the private sector to handle the increase in capacity needed for a competitive process. There is no budget available for this. ‘bought in’ from the private sector to handle the increase in capacity needed for a competitive process. There is no budget available for this.