The Mayor's Executive Decision Making committee was scheduled to consider a contract extension for a specialist community public health nursing service. This service provides healthcare and safeguarding for children under five.

Specialist Community Public Health Nursing Service Contract Extension

The committee was scheduled to consider a proposal for a two-month extension to the contract for the 0-5 Specialist Community Public Health Nursing Service. This service is statutory¹ and provides healthcare and safeguarding for approximately 18,500 children under five in the borough. The current contract was due to expire on 30 September 2026, and all available extensions had been utilised.

The report pack indicated that the re-procurement process for this service was complete, with a new contract intended to commence on 1 October 2026. However, the Mayor had requested additional time to review the information and discuss the future scope, value, and procurement process for the service with officers. This meant the decision on awarding the new contract, originally scheduled for consideration by the Mayor in Cabinet on 23 September, was to be considered in November.

To ensure continuity of service and prevent disruption to patient care, a short extension was deemed necessary. The report pack recommended authorising the Corporate Director of Children's Services to make a direct award of a contract to Tower Hamlets GP Care Group CIC for the period of 1 October 2026 to 30 November 2026. This extension was being sought under special urgency procedures due to the imminent expiry of the current contract. The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had approved this approach due to insufficient time for the usual notice period.

The report pack highlighted that the 0-5 Specialist Community Public Health Nursing Service plays a crucial role in reducing health inequalities for families with young children. An extension was considered essential to maintain consistent action in this area and ensure continuity of care. The report also noted that the delay in commencing the new contract could have implications for Best Value², which could be mitigated by limiting the extension period.

Financially, the extension was reported to have no additional implications, as it would be under current contractual arrangements and funded from the Public Health Grant. Legal Services confirmed that the Council had the legal power to enter into the agreement and that the services were subject to The Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023³. The report stated that allowing a break in service provision would be a significant breach of the Council's public health legal duties and detrimental to the health and safety of children. The Council would monitor the services to ensure they continued to represent statutory Best Value.

The report pack also mentioned that the Mayor's Executive Decision Making committee was scheduled to consider the decision log, which records decisions made by the Mayor. The decision log number for this item was not specified.