Purpose

This report is to set out the recommendations
for recommissioning the Pharmacotherapy function of the
Herefordshire Stop Smoking Service.

Decision

(a) 
The commissioning of
Behavioural Stop Smoking Support services [to complement the county
wide pharmacotherapy and community stop smoking service] through an
open tendering process be approved, for a period of up to 48 months
commencing on 1 July 2025 up to 30 June 2029. Multiple eligible
providers will be appointed to deliver this service with the total
annual cost of £15,000 across all
providers.

(b) 
The commissioning of
Pharmacotherapy Stop Smoking Services through an open tendering
process be approved, for a period of up to 48 months commencing on
1 July 2025 up to 30 June 2029. Multiple eligible providers will be
appointed to deliver this service with the total annual cost of
£70,000 across all providers. The budget for this service is
subject to receipt of the annual government Local Stop Smoking
Services Grant funding.
(c)  
direct award is made to PharmOutcomes system using the below £25k
procedure as per the Council's Contract Procedure Rules to support
this delivery for a period up to 31 March 2029 with a maximum
contract value of £24,000 (£6,000 per annum). This is
an existing system the Pharmacies use and the cost Licence and
represents best value.

(d) 
authority be delegated to both
the Director for Community Wellbeing and the Director for Public
Health to award the contracts for Pharmacotherapy Stop Smoking
Services and Behavioural Stop Smoking Support services, following
the completion of a procurement process and;

(e) 
that delegated authority is
given to both the Director for Community Wellbeing and the Director
for Public Health, to approve any changes to the commissioning
process, or subsequent contracts for their duration, including the
option to extend, vary and terminate existing
contracts.
 

Alternative options considered

1.    
Allow the existing contract for stop
smoking to expire on 30 June 2025, and the service to cease. This
option is not recommended, as this service is key to improving the
health of the local population and a condition of the Smokefree
Generation Grant is that investment in Stop Smoking Services is
maintained. According to the ASH economic assessment tool between
2021 and 2022 smoking related costs in Herefordshire were estimated
at £128million. This included productivity losses
(£78.8million), healthcare costs (£5.64million), social
care costs (£42.4million), and fire related costs
(£1.16million).