In a delegated decision, Newham Council has approved the award of a contract to Barts Health NHS Trust for the provision of specialist sexual and reproductive health services from 1 December 2025. The contract, valued at an estimated £26-29 million over five years with the option to extend for up to three additional years, aims to improve sexual health outcomes for Newham residents. This decision was made under 'Direct Award Procedure C' of the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) regulations¹.

Contract Award for Specialist SRH Services

The main item on the agenda was the award of a contract for Specialist Sexual and Relationship Health (SRH) services for the period 2025-2030. The decision was to approve a direct award of the contract to Barts Health NHS Trust, the current provider. Councillor Rita Chadha, Cabinet Member for Health & Adult Social Care and Transforming Newham for the Future, and Alan Adams, Corporate Director of Adults & Health, were the decision makers.

The report ² outlined that local authorities are legally required to commission sexual and reproductive health services for their residents under the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Specialist sexual health clinics operate on an 'open access' basis, meaning residents can access clinics in any borough, with costs billed to their home borough using a standardised London tariff known as the Integrated Sexual Health Tariff (ISHT).

The report noted that a major transformation of specialist SRH services took place in London between 2014 and 2017, coordinated via the London Sexual Health Programme and agreed by Newham's Cabinet. This involved integrating contraception and STI screening/treatment services, and introducing an online 'e-service' to manage demand and reduce costs. The council estimates that this transformation has saved at least £12 million.

The report stated that in November 2024, the Cabinet agreed that the council could enter discussions with Barts Health NHS Trust for a direct award of contract under 'Procedure C' of the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) procurement regulations. The Cabinet also delegated authority to the Corporate Director of Adults, Health & Communities, in consultation with the Lead Member for Health and Adult Social Care, to award the contract, agree annual changes, and extend the contract for up to three years.

The report argued that a direct award of contract is acceptable under the PSR regulations because:

• The performance of the current provider is satisfactory.
• There is no significant change to the value of the contract.
• There is no significant change to the scope of service provision.

The report also noted that Newham Council led discussions with Barts Health on behalf of other Northeast London (NEL) local authorities, including Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, and Redbridge, under a shared commissioning service agreement.

The five-year aims for SRH agreed for the NEL system are:

• Reverse the trend of increasing STI diagnoses.
• Improve prevention and early diagnosis of HIV, focusing on increasing the uptake of PrEP³ in high-risk communities.
• Increase knowledge and choice around reproductive health, with increased uptake of the most reliable forms of contraception, especially LARC⁴.
• Reduce the number of unplanned and teenage conceptions.
• Reduce the number of abortions and repeat abortions.
• Reduce demographic inequities in sexual health access and outcomes.
• Ensure that principles of 'Universal Proportionalism' run through all SRH work, prioritising the most vulnerable and high-risk residents.

The core components of the service will continue to include:

• Genito-Urinary Medicine (GUM): prevention, testing, and treatment for all forms of STIs and HIV (including PrEP and PEP⁵).
• Contraception: All methods of contraception, with an emphasis on LARC methods.
• Testing and treatment for Hepatitis B / C and immunisation for Hepatitis B.
• Psycho-sexual support comprising individual and group-based counselling.

The existing contract includes 'Additional Optional Work Packages', and this practice will continue. These packages include:

• System Leadership in Primary Care
• Enhanced STI Prevention
• Innovation
• Targeting Priority Groups: Outreach and Health Promotion
• Enhanced Support for Young People

In Year One, Newham Council intends to call off Work Packages 2-6 at a combined annual value of £253,333.

The report detailed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the contract, structured to help meet the strategic objectives. These KPIs include:

• Increase overall uptake of LARC as a proportion of all women on contraception.
• Increase the ratio of the LARC uptake among BAME women relative to White women.
• Increase proportion of eligible Black African residents starting PrEP
• Increase proportion of eligible GBMSM aged <25 starting PrEP
• Increase overall number of female residents being screened for HIV
• Reduction in the number of people who are re-infected with the same STI within 6 months.

A 'Modified Block' payment model has been agreed with Barts Health. Under this arrangement, 80% of the contract value will be paid via block payments on a monthly basis, with the remaining 20% contingent on achieving performance-related KPIs.

The estimated eight-year contract value figures allow for annual average uplifts for NHS Staff Pay Awards ('Agenda for Change') at 2% per year, as well as an average 2% per year for Population Growth.

The report stated that commissioning services to improve sexual and relationship health aligns with the 'Building a Fairer Newham' Corporate Plan, particularly in relation to health, happiness, and wellbeing of residents, and ensuring every resident under 25 is safe, happy, and cared for.

The report also noted that since the start of the contract in 2017, Barts Health NHS Trust has been a valuable partner in delivering the council's priorities within the '50 Steps to a Healthier Newham' Health & Wellbeing Strategy (2024-27).

The report stated that a competitive process was considered and rejected because a transformational approach was not required, residents value the service delivered by the current provider, and Newham Council runs the 'NEL Shared Commissioning Service' for SRH services, with limited legal and procurement capacity.

Councillor Neil Wilson, former Lead Member for Adults, Health & Communities, was consulted regularly on all matters related to SRH throughout 2024 and early 2025 before he sadly passed away. Councillor Rita Chadha Lead Member for Adults, Health & Communities was consulted alongside Alan Adams – Corporate Director for Adults & Health – on 30 October 2025. Extensive engagement has been undertaken with over 1,600 Newham residents and service users via surveys, groups and 1:1 interviews undertaken between 2020 and 2023.

The report outlined the financial, legal, equalities, and procurement implications of the decision. The expenditure is considered essential to ensure the continued delivery of statutory SRH services and will be funded through the council's allocation from the Public Health Grant. The council can rely on various legal powers in support of the decisions recommended in the report, and the procurement complies with the Provider Selection Regime Regulations 2023 (PSR). An Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) has been undertaken, and equity of the existing service is monitored on a continual basis.