Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that standards of patient access, service quality and patient safety are maintained by local authorities in the commissioning of clinical sexual health services.

Since March 2013, the Department, Public Health England (PHE) and other partners have produced a range of policy documents and guidance for local authorities, clinical commissioning groups, providers and others to support the provision of joined up, high quality sexual health services. This guidance includes:

A Framework for Sexual Health Improvement in England –

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-framework-for-sexual-health-improvement-in-england

Making it work –

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commissioning-sexual-health-reproductive-health-and-hiv-services

HIV, sexual and reproductive health current issues bulletin Issue 1: Payments for patients living outside your local authority -

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hiv-sexual-and-reproductive-health-current-issues-bulletin-issue-1-november-2013

HIV, sexual and reproduction health current issues bulletin Issue 2: Commissioning Sexual Health Services from Primary Care –

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hiv-sexual-and-reproductive-health-current-issues-bulletin-issue-2-december-2013

HIV, sexual and reproduction health current issues bulletin Issue 3: Commissioning HIV Services –

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hiv-sexual-and-reproductive-health-current-issues-bulletin-issue-3-february-2014

HIV, sexual and reproduction health current issues bulletin Issue 4: Tendering Sexual Health Services –

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hiv-sexual-and-reproductive-health-current-issues-bulletin-issue-4-may-2014

Sexual Health Clinical Governance: Key principles to assist service commissioners and providers to operate clinical governance systems in sexual health services –

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/252975/Sexual_Health_Clinical_Governance_final.pdf

Commissioning Sexual Health Services and Interventions: Best Practice Guidance for Local Authorities –

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commissioning-sexual-health-services-and-interventions-best-practice-guidance-for-local-authorities

Sexual Health: Key Principals for Cross Charging –

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/226325/Sexual_Health_Key_Principles_for_cross_charging.pdf

Integrated Sexual Health Services: National Service Specification –

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/210726/Service_Specification_with_covering_note.pdf

PHE is planning a joint review with the Association of Directors of Public Health and other partners of the current commissioning arrangements for Sexual Health, Reproductive Health and HIV services. The review is intended to look at current commissioning arrangements and identify any issues arising from the changes to the commissioning of services, together with examples of good practice. It will be based on a structured questionnaire which will enable comparable information to be collected through interview with key partners. A summary of the findings will be published in the summer of 2015.