FOI Ref: 0078FOI2021

30^th September 2020

Freedom of Information Act 2000 – Request for Information

We are pleased to respond to your request for information and our response is set out below:

Request /Response

1. Please confirm the organisations commissioned by the CCG to provide Termination of Pregnancy Services to your patients?

Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS FT and British Pregnancy Association Service (BPAS), patients can access any provider services who hold an NHS contract (with another CCG) through patient choice.

2. Please confirm the end dates of currently commissioned contracts?

Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS FT (STHFT) are currently part of the NHS National Contract arrangements.

BPAS - 31/03/2021

3. Are any providers currently within an extension period of their contract?

STHFT - N/A

BPAS - Yes

4. Were contracts awarded through a competitive tender process?

No – BPAS were awarded a contract due to the volume of patient choice activity as they held an NHS contract elsewhere.

5. What is the form of contract: AQP or sole provider?

Neither

6. At what percentage of tariff is each provider delivering services?

STHFT - Part of the Nationally set block contract

BPAS - 100% local prices

7. What activity numbers were delivered by each provider, by HRG code, over the past 12 months? 

There are restrictions on using and releasing abortion statistics, official statistics for abortions are published by the Department of Health. The numbers of abortions recorded in HES data are different to published official abortion statistics and hence, any release of HES abortion data should be done with extreme caution, following the disclosure guidance of abortion statistics and released with appropriate caveats. Guidance on the release of abortion statistics can be obtained by contacting the Department of Health Abortion Statistics team on 0207 972 5537 or emailing abortion.statistics@dh.gsi.gov.uk. Annual statistics for abortion can be found at www.gov.uk, search for ‘abortion statistics’. Data for earlier years can be requested by email.

8. Please confirm the annualised actual contract values for each provider for 2019/20?

STHFT - Part of the Nationally set block contract

BPAS - This is a cost and volume contract so we pay on actual activity delivered.

9. Please confirm who (if any) providers are providing ToP services to patients without a contract where a patient has exercised their right to choose a provider? What are the activity numbers delivered per provider?

Providers who hold a contract with an NHS organisation may offer services to our population in line with the Choice Framework. As Sheffield CCG (SCCG) does not contract with these providers we do not have an extensive list. Where delivered appropriately this activity may be invoiced as Non-Contract Activity in line with Who Pays Guidance (or any alternative issued due to Covid-19).

10. What were the average wait times for providers over the past 12 months? (broken down by month and surgical/medical)

Please see ‘0078FOI2021 Termination of Pregnancy_Final’ document attached.

11. Do any of the contracted providers sub-contract any parts of the service to an alternative provider? If so, who and what?

No

12. Does ToP feature on the CCGs commissioning intentions?

SCCG Commissioning Intentions have not yet been finalised due to COVID-19.

13. Who is the senior officer (outside of procurement) responsible for this contract?    

Jackie Mills, Director of Finance.