Decision details

That the contract for Point of Care Testing Service to Support the NHS Health Checks Programme be called-off from the Public Health Agreement Framework and awarded to Alere Ltd for a period of one year from 1^st April 2016 to 31^st March 2017 with an optional extension of one year, with authority to extend the contract delegated to the Chief Officer in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Care Services.

That the contract for Laboratory Testing for sexually transmitted infection be called-off from the Public Health Agreement Framework and awarded to The Doctors Laboratory for a period of one year from 1^st April 2016 to 31^st March 2017 with an optional extension of one year, with authority to extend the contract delegated to the Chief Officer in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Care Services.

The Public Health Framework was put in place in April 2014 following a full tender exercise and approval from the Council’s Executive for Framework arrangements, and was subsequently approved for extension to 31^st March 2018. 

Alere Ltd is the existing provider of Point of Care Testing to Bromley, and has provided an efficient and high quality service which is trusted by GPs to provide accurate results.  Alere Ltd is also the only provider of this service currently appointed to the Public Health Framework Agreement and the Commissioner is satisfied that Alere remains the best option to ensure the key outcomes of each contract continue to be achieved and is therefore seeking an exemption from tendering and permission to grant a new contract for a period of one year from 1^st April 2016 to 31^st March 2017, with an optional extension of one year.

The Doctor’s Laboratory is the only provider of laboratory testing in the Public Health Framework Agreement that can demonstrate satisfactorily the capacity and capability to offer tests that cover all six common Sexually Transmitted Infections.  The commissioned provider will be required to set up and work specifically with the website hosting the local online Chlamydia and other Sexually Transmitted Infection Screening Programme and The Doctor’s Laboratory is the only organisation in the Framework which offers an end-to-end service of dispatching internet orders to processing the test with results notification, and has also been identified as consistently performing to the standard and quality required by the Local Authority and offering value for money for the proposed service provision.  There are plans to re-procure the website next year and consideration is being given to the potential for a joint procurement process for the website and laboratory service with the London Boroughs of Greenwich and Bexley.  It is therefore proposed that the contract be awarded to The Doctor’s Laboratory for a period of one year from 1^st April 2016 to 31^st March 2017, with an optional extension of one year if the re-procurement does not take place within the given timeline.