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Title:
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Sexual Health Promotion, HIV Prevention & Living Well Services |
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Date of Meeting:
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27.07.21 |
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Report of:
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Executive Director of Health and Adult Social Care |
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Contact:
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Stephen Nicholson |
Tel: 01273 296559 |
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Email:
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Wards Affected:
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ALL |
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FOR GENERAL RELEASE
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Executive Summary
The purpose of this paper is to outline plans for the re-commissioning of the sexual health promotion, HIV prevention and living well service from April 2022. This service supports residents of the City with particular focus on those groups at higher risk of HIV and sexual Ill-health. |
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Glossary of Terms
HIV = Human Immunodeficiency Virus THT = Terrence Higgins Trust MSM = men who have sex with men STIs = sexually transmitted infections PIN = prior information notice |
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1. Decisions, recommendations and any options
1.1 That the Adult Social Care and Public Health Sub Committee grants delegated authority to the Executive Director of Health and Adult Social Care to conduct a procurement process as outlined by this report for the provision of sexual health, HIV prevention and social care services and to enter into the subsequent 3 +2 year contract.
2. Relevant information
2.1 There is a high burden of poor sexual health in Brighton and Hove with the 17th highest rate of new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) of local authorities in England and the highest rates in the South East region. Gay and other men who have sex with men (MSM), younger people under 25 and those with a black ethnicity have been statistically shown to be at the highest risk of STIs.
2.2 Brighton and Hove has the 8th highest prevalence of diagnosed HIV in England and the highest outside of London. In 2019 the prevalence was 7.94 /1,000 aged 15-59 compared to 2.39/1,000 in England. The vast majority (84%) of people (92% of males) probably acquired the infection through sex between men. 85% of people living with HIV in Brighton and Hove are white but over half of women living with HIV locally have a black ethnicity.
2.3 Evidence based HIV prevention and social care for people living with HIV makes good public health and economic sense. Every HIV infection that is prevented benefits individual and public health and saves the state around £280,000.
2.4 The HIV prevention and social care service delivers HIV prevention interventions targeted towards those statistically most at risk of HIV infection – men who have sex with men (MSM) and black Africans. The service also provides social care support for all people living with HIV who need help to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.
2.5 Services include physical and on-line outreach, face to face support, social marketing campaigns, counselling, community based HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing, printed information and materials, the provision of free condoms, structured peer support and work to address the role of drugs and alcohol in risk taking behaviours.
2.6 Service delivery is very good with performance generally exceeding the requirements of key performance indicators
2.7 The current contract for the provision of these services expires on March 31st, 2022.
2.8 It is proposed that a prior information notice (PIN) is posted as a call for competition in the first instance.
2.9 If the PIN results in expressions of interest from other parties a procurement by tender will be undertaken. If no expressions of interest are received it is proposed that a new contract is negotiated with the current provider Terrence Higgins Trust.
2.10 The contract value is £411k. We are requesting a contract for 3 years plus 2 optional extension years.
3. Important considerations and implications
Legal:
3.1 The Council must comply with the Public Contract Regulations 2015 in relation to the procurement and award of contracts above the relevant financial threshold. The services outlined in this report fall within Schedule 3 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and exceed the relevant threshold for light touch regime services (£663,540).
3.2 The procurement process for the light touch regime is not unduly prescribed but must accord with the fundamental public procurement principles of transparency, proportionality, non-discrimination and equal treatment. The Council must also consider social value when procuring service contracts in order to comply with the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012.
3.3 The Council’s Contract Standing Orders will also apply. Committee approval must be obtained to authorise the Council entering into contracts in excess of £500,000.
Lawyer consulted: Sara Zadeh Date: 12/07/21
Finance:
3.4 The existing contract to provide Sexual Health Promotion, HIV Prevention and Living Well Services is funded within the ring-fenced Public Health grant (Health & Adult Social Care directorate).
3.5 The budget for financial year 2021/22 is in line with the proposed waiver and annual contract sum of £0.411m. However, the Public Health grant allocation has not been confirmed beyond financial year 2021/22 which may impact on the availability of funding, though it is anticipated that financial resources will be available to enable the commissioning of the services detailed above up to March 2025.
Finance Officer consulted: Sophie Warburton Date: 22/06/2021
Equalities:
3.6 Consideration for equalities and the reduction of health inequalities will be explicitly addressed in the service specification and integral to the delivery of the services. The public health universal services are delivered with a scale of intensity proportionate to the level of needs experienced by certain population groups including those needs arising from their protected characteristics. An equalities impact assessment will be undertaken as part of the re-commissioning process
Sustainability:
3.7 There are no direct implications for sustainability
Health, social care, children’s services and public health:
3.8 Children are not included within the scope of this service. Health, social care and public health are directly addressed by the public health services to which this paper refers.
4. Supporting documents and information
4.1 None required