Sub-contracting of online STI testing by NHS community healthcare trusts and similar organisations

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

Dear Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust,

Contracts for remote or online sexual health testing

We are researching the use of online sexual health testing services. These services allow citizens concerned that they may have a sexually transmitted infection to order a test kit to be sent to their home, and then to either self-test at home, or return a sample to the laboratory, receive a result usually via email or text message, and to obtain medicines and further advice if required.
Please answer the following questions in relation to online sexual health services.

1a. Does the authority have a contract to provide sexual health services? If Yes, list which local authorities or other clients it currently has a contract with.
b. Does the authority sub-contract online sexual health testing services as part of any of the contracts in your response to 1a.

2. In each of the financial periods 2021-22, 2022-23, April 2023 to December 2023
a. How much did the authority spend on online testing services
b. How many citizens were tested using online services

3. How much was spent (by the authority or predecessor organisations) in each period with each of the following providers for online sexual health services
a. Preventx
b. SH 24
c. TDL or their NHS joint venture, Health Service Laboratories
d. Viapath
e. Synlab or their joint venture, Synnovis
f. Lloyd’s pharmacy
g. NHS Trusts/ their laboratory services
h. Other. Please name any provider where the spend in any year exceeded £100,000

4. When did the authority last issue a tender for these services

5. When does the current contract expire

Yours faithfully,

Richard Brown

FOIREQUEST(LPT) (LINCOLNSHIRE PARTNERSHIP NHS FOUNDATION TRUST), Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Dear Richard,

Further to your Freedom of Information Request below, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is commissioned to provide mental health services in Lincolnshire. We can confirm that we are not commissioned to provide Sexual Health Services.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to request for an internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original letter and should be addressed to: FOI Department, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Trust Headquarters, Long Leys Road, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN1 1FS. If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Kind regards,

FOI Department
Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Trust Headquarters, St George’s, Long Leys Road, Lincoln, LN1 1FS

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