Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2017-10-17
Buyer: Plymouth City Council
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Negotiated without a prior call for competition
CPV classification: 85000000
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: Improving sexual and reproductive health is an important public health priority. Plymouth City Council has a statutory obligation under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and the Local Authorities (Public Health Function and Entry to Premises by Local Healthwatch Representatives) Regulations 2013 to provide confidential, open access sexual and reproductive health services for the population of Plymouth. This includes the provision of comprehensive contraception, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, sexual health promotion and HIV prevention services. This resulting contract will enable Plymouth City Council to meet its statutory requirements and to provide a high quality, affordable service to meet the needs of the local population.
The Provider will demonstrate a needs led approach that is characterised by strong clinical and organisational leadership and collaboration.
The overall aim of the service model is to provide an integrated approach to the prevention and management of sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing across the life course. The service model will operate an integrated ‘front door’ ensuring that people are directed to the most appropriate service level according to their needs. This includes directing people to primary care and community pharmacies for routine sexual and reproductive healthcare and ensuring that people are directed towards self-management and online services wherever appropriate.
— There is clear evidence that the services to be procured are of a specialist technical nature. Sexual and reproductive health care services are highly specialised clinical services requiring specific standards of professional eligibility and competence. Services must be compliant with the standards of clinical practice as set out in the guidance published by
— Services must be delivered from facilities (premises) that are compliant with strict Care Quality Commission (CQC) guidelines (Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: Regulation 15). It is essential that they also have access to ancillary allied healthcare professional services such as pathology and radiography services.
— In response to a specific question in the Prior Information Notice, none of the respondents demonstrated that they would be able to secure the required local facilities (premises) or equipment to deliver integrated sexual and reproductive health services in Plymouth.
— There is a significant degree of overlap between the sexual and reproductive health services defined in this exemption and other related services provided by Plymouth Hospital NHS Trust namely HIV treatment and care and abortion services. These services operate from shared premises with shared specialist equipment and staff. Changes in these arrangements would lead to significant disruption across these service areas. It is vital that these interdependencies are protected to provide integrated sexual and reproductive health services in Plymouth.


Winner: Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust