Integrated Sexual Health Service

THIS IS AN INTENTION TO AWARD NOTICE ONLY Westmorland & Furness Council is advising of its intention to award a contract for the Integrated Sexual Health Service to a provider following a completed procurement exercise following an open Competitive Process under the The Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The Integrated Sexual Health Service will support the delivery against the 5 main sexual health Public Health Outcomes Framework measures:

• under 18 conceptions
• chlamydia detection rate
• new STIs diagnosis (excluding chlamydia in the under 25s)
• prescribing of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) excluding injections (females aged 15 to 44)
• people presenting with HIV at a late stage of infection. The objectives of the service will support the improvement of sexual health outcomes:
• Promoting good sexual health through primary prevention activities including condom use, vaccination, the sexual health aspects of psychosexual counselling, HIV PrEP, behaviour change and those which aim to reduce the stigma associated with STIs, HIV and unplanned pregnancy.
• Providing rapid and easy access to open access STI and BBV testing, treatment and management services through a variety of mechanisms which should include remote and online services.
• Providing rapid and easy access to open access reproductive health services including the full range of contraceptive services; supported referral to NHS funded abortion services (based on up-to-date knowledge of local contractual arrangements for abortion services including late gestations and those with comorbidities); and support in planning for a healthy pregnancy; through a variety of mechanisms which should include remote and online services.
• Reducing late diagnosis of HIV and undiagnosed HIV and improving the sexual health of those living with HIV.
• Providing a quality service with an appropriate mix of correctly trained staff, clinical governance and service user safety arrangements.
• Being responsive to local need by (a) providing rapid response to outbreak management; and (b) through continuous improvement and response to local population need.
• Operating as a leader in the local sexual health economy providing clinical leadership, involvement in local networks and development of clear referral pathways between providers.

Decision to Award was recommended by by the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and was agreed by Council Cabinet on the 15th July 2025. Reasons for selecting the chosen provider North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust achieved the required pass scores against the key award criteria as set out in the tender documentation. The Trust provided evidence of good quality Integrated Sexual Health Services and evidence to demonstrate that they would be able to meet the service requirements of the Integrated Sexual Health Service across Cumbria for both Westmorland and Furness and Cumberland Council residents.

Conflicts of interest assessment undertaken. No declared or potential conflicts that required management.