Decision details

Approval to enter into an inter authority contract (involving 26 London Boroughs) in order to access a Pan London Sexual Health e-Service to be delivered by Preventx.

1.  That joining the Inter-Authority Agreement between the City of London Corporation and Southwark Council that enables Southwark to access the Pan London Sexual Health e-Service awarded to Preventx be approved.

2.  That an extension to the contract that Lambeth council has with SH:24 on Southwark Council’s behalf for the provision of a sexual health e-service in Lambeth and Southwark, effective from 1 October 2017 be approved, and it be noted that this is an interim solution required due to mobilisation delays to the Pan-London Sexual Health e-Service contract and this contract will be terminated when Southwark clinics are able to access the Pan-London Sexual Health e-Service contract with Preventx.

3.  That a maximum spend on the above sexual health e-services (activity costs) over an initial 2-year period from 1 October 2017 to 30 September 2019 of £1,339,155 be approved.  This is equivalent to £330,139 from 1 October 2017 – 31 March 2018, £672,677 from 1 April 2018 – 31 March 2019, and £336,339 from 1 April 2019 – 30 September 2019.

4.  That a maximum spend on sexual health e-service related-costs (non-activity costs) over an initial 2-year period from 1 October 2017 to 30 September 2019 of £136,689 be approved.  This is equivalent to £66,189 from 1 October 2017 – 31 March 2018, £46,500 from 1 April 2018 – 31 March 2019, and £24,000 from 1 April 2019 – 30 September 2019.

5.  That it be noted that the spend on sexual health e-Service contracts is part of a matrix of measures designed to modernise, rationalise and reduce the cost of sexual health service provision in Southwark, and is funded through a £9.31m reduction in contract costs for integrated sexual health services in Southwark (detailed in Gateway 2: Award of Contracts for the Provision of Sexual Health Services, approved by Cabinet on 19 September 2017).  Moving asymptomatic testing out of clinic enables continuing cost efficiencies (online testing is cheaper then clinic testing), ensures a sustainable local sexual health system, and enables the council to continue to manage clinic demand and capacity.  Early diagnosis also prevents onward infection (reducing the number of transmitted infections) and is essential in reducing the prevalence of infection within the population (and associated treatment costs, for which the council is responsible).

6.  That it be noted that approval to continue to contract with the Pan-London Sexual Health e-Service and the relevant maximum annual spend for years 3-9 of the e-Service contract and non-activity related costs will be sought no later than July 2019 through a separate gateway report.