Purpose

This report seeks approval to award grant agreements to external
providers to deliver sexual health interventions.
 
Lower than expected activity across a range of sexual health
(SH) contracts has generated an underspend in the
sexual health cost centre of approx.
£150,000 (2023-24).
 
Officers, in partnership with the provider of the integrated
sexual health service, Central and North West London (CNWL) NHS
Foundation Trust, have identified a number of areas of service
development where the underspend can fund piloting some new ways of
working. The evaluation of these will be used to
inform the development of the new adult sexual health service model
(to be in place July 2025).
 
Officers propose to issue four grant agreements using this
underspend. The total value of the grants is £150,000
but as each grant is funding a different area of service
development, officers propose to issue grants for each individual
development area. The outcomes of the funded interventions will
inform the new service model; the service will be
re-commissioned during the summer of 2024. The proposed
grant agreements are as follows:
 
 
The funding is to support the admin costs of establishing a
group of local clinical experts to enable the new Integrated Sexual
Health service specification to be developed with
robust clinical input.
 
 
This funding will fund:

•        
Resourcing for developing and implementing streamlined processes
for efficient and thorough safeguarding screening
during clinic attendances.

•        
Trialling and evaluating the impact of advanced training for SH
healthcare professionals to enhance their ability to identify and
address safeguarding concerns.
 
 
Development of information cards containing key safety questions
and contact details for direct communication with the relevant
staff to be provided to all clinic attendees.
 
 
Develop, implement and evaluate a structured approach to
managing urgent non- clinical issues raised during
appointments.

Content

THAT the Director of Health and Wellbeing in consultation with
the Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care
approves:
 
The award of four grants using sexual health 2023-24 cost centre
underspend to Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
for:
 

o       
Establishing a Clinical Advisory Group

o       
Improving access to safeguarding screening

o       
Developing co-produced safety information for service users

o       
Piloting changes to processes to enable clinicians to address non-
clinical urgent issues more effectively
 
The total cost of the grant agreements is £150,000.