Issue - meetings

Gill Harrison, Public Health Specialist, presented a report on the progress made in relation to the All Service Review (ASR) savings 2019/20 from the Integrated Sexual Health Services budget as agreed at the 28^th February 2018 Council meeting (Minute No. 157 refers) which resulted in a 2.6% reduction from the overall contract value for the commissioned Integrated Sexual Health Service (ISHS).

Since 1^st April, 2013, every local authority had a legal duty to protect the public’s health with the Regulations stating that the Director of Public Health was responsible for ensuring that there were effective arrangements in place for preparing, planning and responding to health protection concerns.  Following a tendering exercise in 2016, the contract was awarded to Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust (TRFT) with the new service, providing a broad range of contraceptive services and a comprehensive STI prevention, testing and treatment, starting on 1^st April, 2017.

The savings had been profiled for 2019/20 due to the service only having recently been out to tender with a budget reduction from the original value and also due to them taking on the responsibility for the provision of contraceptive services in primary care (GPs and Pharmacy).

As part of the original tender TRFT were commissioned to provide clinics at a range of times and locations to give more opportunities to members of the public to attend clinic sessions.  TRFT proposed to stop providing the newly opened Sunday clinic as it was not as well utilised as other clinics and was more expensive to run.  This would result in a saving of £26,000 and the TRFT had also undertaken an equality analysis to consider the impact of the Sunday clinic cessation.

Local authorities were mandated by the Health and Social Care Act (2012) to prevent the spread of STIs including HIV prevention.  Public Health had a budget of £30,000 for this work and the current contract had now come to an end.  TRFT sub-contracted with a third sector organisation, Yorkshire MESMAC, who were already providing awareness raising, prevention and testing for all STIs including HIV.  A contract variation had, therefore, been agreed between Public Health and TRFT to include specific HIV prevention work within their existing service.  This resulted in a £30,000 saving.

The ISHS was a good service that achieved good results and had worked well with survivors of CSE.

Discussion ensued and Dr. Nadi Gupta, Lead Clinician, and colleagues, Natalie Gibbons (Lead Nurse) and Julie Bentley (Service Manager)responded on:-

·             Demographics of people using the service on a Sunday.

The service was for Under 25’s, a high risk group for STIs and a targeted service.  Over the past year there had been 400 attendances to the Sunday clinic, which began on 1^st April, 2017 and was open to males and females.  Further demographic information was not available.

·             Concerns about a reduction in the service. 

Data from the Police website indicated 138 active CSE ongoing investigations and the service had active cases  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19