1. Provision of Public Health Services in Primary Care
Background and Guidance

2. Background
The following Public Health Services are commissioned by Sunderland City Council and provided via General Practice and/or Pharmacies:
NHS Health Checks (Mandatory – GP only)
Stop Smoking Services (GP and Pharmacy)
Long Acting Reversible Contraception (GP only)
Emergency Hormonal Contraception (Pharmacy Only)
Supervised Consumption (Pharmacy Only)
Needle Exchange (Pharmacy Only)
Currently, these are commissioned up to 30 September 2017
As Primary Care offers universal access to services, the Council wishes to continue to work with them to provide these services to the local population
Each of the services has been thoroughly revised to ensure that they are in line with prevailing evidence and guidance

3. Provision of Services after 30 September 2017
Practices and Pharmacies are encouraged to sign up to the services to ensure that we have maximum coverage
In particular, we wish to ensure that there is wider uptake of NHS Health Checks and increased quit rates for Stop Smoking Services
For all services, we wish to ensure that participating providers are helping to increase coverage and are making sure that all staff maintain their competencies
Therefore, please let us know if you don’t think you will be able to meet the levels of activity required
Applications for the services are made electronically and need to be made via the NEPO Portal (

4. Registering on the NEPO Portal

5. Content of the NEPO Portal
Once you have registered on the NEPO portal and accessed the opportunity, you will find all supporting documentation (which you can download). This consists of:
Service Specifications (general and one for each service)
Declaration of Competence forms (one for each service)
Standard procurement forms
PLEASE NOTE – the services on offer are for pharmacies and general practice, so you will also see documentation for services that are exclusive to each setting (please see instructions relating to opting out of services).

7. Choose Sunderland City Council

14. Then follow instructions

15. Form of Application
Applications forms consist of two ways of providing information:
Online forms
Completed word forms
In both cases, no lengthy textual input is required, all are declarations or checklists
Alongside these, you will need supporting documents that are requested at points through the application. These will be certificates demonstrating completion of courses, insurance, DBS etc.
You will see that there are some standard documents that are required to meet the Council’s statutory requirements when procuring services (e.g. Prevent Duty, Selection Questionnaire)

16. Start Applications Early!
Assuming all documentation is ready, the applications can be completed in a relatively short time
HOWEVER - You may find that you need updated DBS checks carried out for practitioners that will be delivering the services – apply now for those as there can be delays
You may also find that other forms of training need updating, such as Safeguarding Adults and Safeguarding Children training
If you already provide the services, it is likely that your practitioners will have qualifications, though this must be checked.
If you wish to newly apply for services that your practice does not currently deliver, you will need to ensure that practitioners have completed the training required.

17. Declarations of Competence
In order to standardise the process of demonstrating competence for practitioners wishing to deliver services, each one has a Declaration of Competence which must be completed and submitted in support of applications
The Declarations of Competence describe any training, checks or other processes that must be evidenced to provide the services
Please note – Declarations of Competence belong to individual practitioners, not to the practice as a whole. So, if you have two stop smoking advisers, you will need two completed Declarations of Competence

18. Standardised Specifications
For ease of use, all specifications follow a similar sequence:
Introduction, Purpose, Outcomes etc.
Service Criteria
Service Description (containing flow chart) and requirements
Recording and Reporting
Governance
Workforce Requirements
Performance Requirements and Data
Pricing and Payment

19. NHS Health Checks
Core payments simplified and retained at £30 per check, with £15 for high risk/management plan
Check coding! NECS will collect data
More emphasis on systematic call and recall
Standardised guidance on tests
Quality requirements and competencies highlighted
Roles of mentoring described
Standardised supporting resources
Clearer information about what to do in response to findings
Standardised supporting resources, training and QA process
Interdependencies updated

20. Long Acting Reversible Contraception
Payments remain the same with additional payment for removal of IUCD or Implant (SDI Insertion - £45, SDI Removal - £70, IUD/IUS Insertion - £90, IUD/IUS Check - £20, IUD/IUD Removal - £20)
Updated quality criteria for removal
Updated data collection tool

21. Stop Smoking Services
Payment retained at £15.50 per quit, with £41 4 week quit and £41 for 12 week quit
Updated quality requirements and competencies
Advisers to ensure that they carry out a minimum of 20 quits annually
Referral route from NTW and CHS – will need to see referral letter (may be no CO reading, though treated as new quitter)
New NRT vouchers - 8 in any 12 week period
Behavioural and motivational support for users of e-cigarettes, though e-cigarettes themselves cannot be provided via NRT scheme
NRT products may be supplied to e-cigarette users
Some NRT products (e.g. inhalators have been withdrawn)
Referral to Live Life Well where there are repeat quitters
Support can be provided for pregnant women who smoke
Anybody under the age of 12 must be referred to their GP or other specialist service

22. Nicotine Replacement Therapy (not already covered)
Payment retained at £3.50 for initial assessment, £1.30 per dispense, products reimbursed
Updated quality requirements and competencies
Behavioural and motivational support for users of e-cigarettes, though e-cigarettes themselves cannot be provided via NRT scheme
Revised vouchers
Voucher activity to be recorded via Pharmoutcomes (not sent to Live Life Well)
Vouchers must be retained by the pharmacy for audit
Vouchers must not be dispensed if presented after 28 days from initial Stop Smoking recommendation, following this must also be uploaded within 2 months

23. Supervised Consumption
Payment for dispensing is revised to £2.40
Updated quality requirements
New declaration of competence (using CPPE training)
Updated quality requirements and competencies
Continue to use Pharmoutcomes
Contact details for relevant services for liaison

24. Pharmacy Harm Reduction
Payment for scheme is revised from annual retainer to payment per dispense £3.00
Updated quality requirements
New declaration of competence (using CPPE training)
Updated quality requirements and competencies
Use Pharmoutcomes to upload activity
Contact details for relevant services for liaison

25. Pharmacy Sexual Health
Payment – Consultation only - £11.26, Consultation and EHC - £17.50, Consultation and EHC / Screening Kit - £18.50
Provisional of Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Screening Kits
Distribution of condoms as part of C Card scheme
Revision to Patient Group Directive (minimum age 13, potential use of 3mg dose where BMI > 26)
Updated quality requirements
Updated quality requirements and competencies
Use Pharmoutcomes to upload activity

26. Coming Soon – Healthy Vitamins
Specification will be available for:
All pregnant women
All breastfeeding women
All women with a child under 12 months
Babies from four weeks to 6 months old who are exclusively breastfed (if the mother did not take the supplements during pregnancy)
All children aged 6 months to 4 years old

27. https://supplierhelp.due-north.com/
Queries and Contacts
NEPO Portal
SCC – Public Health
Claire Burn –
SCC – Procurement
Issy Langley –