Decision details

It is recommended that the Director of Public Health -
(i) Waives Contracts Procedure Rules 8.1 and 8.2 to extend the contract with Asda supermarket for a period of 12 months to pilot an additional model of delivery for the NHS Health Checks Programme in Leeds incurring a maximum contract value of £90,000.
(ii) Vary the GP Healthcheck contract for one year (with provision to extend for a further year) to adjust the current patient invitation payment to GP’s to compensate them for the additional work involved in inviting patients to use the Asda service and in updating their patient records afterwards incurring a maximum additional cost of £41,400.
Leeds was approached by Public Health England and given the opportunity to work in partnership with Asda supermarket to pilot for 6 months a model whereby the NHS Health Check would be delivered through Asda pharmacies within 4 Asda supermarkets across Leeds which are Morley, Seacroft, Pudsey and Holt Park. This would be in addition to the current GP providers. These sites were chosen as they are the only Asda supermarkets with a pharmacy in store and this is a requirement to deliver the NHS Health Check.

This additional method of delivery of NHS Health Checks will give people more choice and flexibility to access an NHS Health Check which in the longer term will enable people to adopt healthy lifestyles and therefore reduce their risk of developing Cardiovascular Disease and dying prematurely.

Due to delays implementing the initial 6 month pilot, patients were not able to benefit from the alternative provider of Health Checks until mid-November. The number of patients accessing the new service has increased since the pilot has been operating, which shows that there is public interest for an alternative provider. It is now proposed for the pilot to be extended for a further period of 12 months to allow more people to access the Health Check service through Asda pharmacies. This extended pilot period will enhance the evaluation of the pilot, and will help inform and strengthen future commissioning intentions.

This contract extension and variation will be funded by the established budget for the delivery of the NHS Health Check Programme, which is part of the ring fenced public health grant which transferred to LCC Public Health from the NHS in April 2013.