North Yorkshire Integrated Sexual Health Service 30-day Consultation Summary Report
1.1 To inform HASLT, Management Board and Executive of the public consultation feedback received on the intention to enter into a Section 75 agreement with York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to provide the North Yorkshire Integrated Sexual Health Service from 1 April 2022.
1.2 A 30-day consultation went live on 4 January 2022 and ended on 3 February 2022, delivered in partnership between North Yorkshire County Council and York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
1.3 The consultation consisted of on an online survey that was available during the 30-day period from both organisations websites.
2.1 In total 32 people responded to the online survey.
2.2 The following table indicates in what capacity that respondents were completing the survey.
|
Role completing survey |
Responses Received |
% of Total Responses |
|
Resident of North Yorkshire |
23 |
72% |
|
Professional |
8 |
25% |
|
Current provider of sexual health services |
1 |
3% |
2.4 The survey was a set of two questions that asked people to confirm if they were in agreement with North Yorkshire County Council and York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust entering in to a Section 75 arrangement, as well as the content of the Section 75 itself. The survey included two qualitative questions, with space provided for further thoughts or statements from individuals for each of the questions. The collated responses to the quantitative questions is in the following tables.
|
Question 1 Do you support North Yorkshire County Council and York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust entering into a Section 75 partnership agreement (appended along with the associated schedules)? Y/N What are the reasons for your answer (Please do not include any personal identifiable information in any of your answers that could identify yourself or another individual). |
||
|
Response |
Responses Received |
% of Total Responses |
|
Yes |
23 |
72% |
|
No |
6 |
19% |
|
Don’t Know |
3 |
9% |
|
Question 2 Do you agree with the proposed content of the Section 75 agreement between North Yorkshire County Council and York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundations Trust? Y/N What are the reasons for your answer (Please do not include any personal identifiable information in any of your answers that could identify yourself or another individual). |
||
|
Response |
Responses Received |
% of Total Responses |
|
Yes |
22 |
69% |
|
No |
7 |
22% |
|
Don’t Know |
3 |
9% |
3.1 All of the questions asked as part of this online survey allowed for respondents to share their feedback. The following is a summary of key themes from the feedback for each question.
|
Question 1: Do you support North Yorkshire County Council and York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust entering into a Section 75 partnership agreement (appended along with the associated schedules)?
Y/N
What are the reasons for your answer (Please do not include any personal identifiable information in any of your answers that could identify yourself or another individual). |
|
Key themes from responses to Question 1 |
|
72% of respondents supported North Yorkshire County Council and York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust entering into the draft Section 75 agreement.
“The proposed longer term partnership provides the opportunity to further develop services that are responsive to local needs.”
There is a lot of support for the respective organisations to enter in to the Section 75 agreement, not least because the length of contract should allow for service development and innovation that will meet the needs of the communities they operate within.
“Rurality is a central issue for North Yorkshire.”
There is caution provided through responses that highlight where attention will need to be paid to combat some of the challenges of operating across such a diverse county as North Yorkshire. Ensuring a continuation of equitable service provision across each district will be essential.
“YorSexualHealth currently provides a very good quick, efficient, friendly non-judgemental service.”
“This provider has strong track record in delivering sexual health services and partnership working.”
The trust have a strong local brand in North Yorkshire that has a good reputation across the county. The responses highlight support of the trust continuing as the commissioned lead for sexual health services in North Yorkshire and for their proven leadership within this sector.
“There needs to be a split between prevention and treatment otherwise treatment and medical interventions will always take precedence with prevention being seen as a nice to have ‘add on’.”
Although the majority of responses are in agreement with this question, there are important points raised about ensuring just as much time and attention is given to prevention as treatment.
There are some concerns raised about all elements of the sexual health service being delivered by one provider. This may be in light of a recent decision to end a contractual arrangement with the previous community outreach service in North Yorkshire.
Numerous responses across both questions reference the previous provider so it may be that priority is given to providing assurances to the local community around these elements of service delivery and development.
|
|
Joint response to key themes identified |
|
We are encouraged by the broad support for the section 75 partnership agreement. We believe that this will provide the best framework with which to embark on a system-wide programme of transformation of sexual health services which will deliver real improvements for the residents of North Yorkshire.
We are mindful of the diversity of need across North Yorkshire and, amongst other things, the transformation programme will focus on developing local place-based models of delivery with improved outcomes for people at its core. These local models will be co-ordinated by locality hubs in Harrogate, Scarborough, Northallerton and Selby and include a mixture of community-based clinics, where both need and geography require it. This level 3 sexual health service offer will incorporate digital and virtual access to supplement face to face work. Most at risk populations will benefit from a local integrated team that delivers rapid access to testing, flexible contraception provision, counselling support, and health and wellbeing support to help people living with and affected by HIV.
Prevention remains a core part of this offer. The YorSexualHealth STIP Prevention team has recently undergone a review of its service to integrate results management and partner notification to realise fewer hand-offs for patients and partners, improve access and convenience of testing and treatment. Further work is planned to integrate this team with clinic and community outreach teams to focus on key public health outcome areas.
|
|
Question 2: Do you agree with the proposed content of the Section 75 agreement between North Yorkshire County Council and York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundations Trust?
Y/N
What are the reasons for your answer (Please do not include any personal identifiable information in any of your answers that could identify yourself or another individual). |
|
Key themes from responses to Question 2 |
|
69% of responses to this question are in favour of the proposed content of the Section 75 agreement between North Yorkshire County Council and York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundations Trust.
“Sensible use of public money and resource. I have always known YSH to provide an excellent service that provides an essential public health provision and offers true value for money.”
The history that York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundations Trust of providing sexual services in North Yorkshire means that the majority of responses are in agreement with what is proposed to be delivered from 1 April 2022.
“Strongly support integrated working and improved digital offer.”
The innovations that the trust have been able to make over the last two years have a lot of support and will need to be built on as part of future work in this contract.
“So long as access to services isn’t reduced then I am happy.”
The Section 75 agreement outlines how York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundations Trust can continue to build on their experience of providing sexual health services. The ambition of this agreement is to maximise the provision, which has the support of the individuals who responded.
|
|
Joint response to key themes identified |
|
Whilst we are encouraged by the extent of support for the content of the agreement, we are mindful that there is further work to do in order to realise the benefits of partnership agreement.
Clearly, respondents are concerned that the proposed changes do not mean a reduction in services. Respondents are also keen to ensure that services represent good value for money.
We have made a commitment to ensure that the four locality hubs will remain in Harrogate, Scarborough, Selby and Northallerton, with community based clinics in Skipton and Catterick. As always, it is important that we make best use of the public pound and we will ensure that all provision is able to demonstrate this through the following criteria in which they will: · Be proportionate to local need · Have clarity of purpose · Address key public health outcomes · Have high levels of satisfaction for patients and service users Ensure access to service provision utilising learning from the pandemic to deliver face to face, virtual and online provision across North Yorkshire.
These events will afford people with the opportunity to contribute to service plans going forward, sense check proposals for future delivery models and identify risks and areas for local priority action.
Engagement with communities, the public and people who use sexual health services is key. Throughout February and March, we will be conducting a number of surveys and engagement events with these groups to gather thoughts and opinions on priorities in service delivery.
|
4.1 This consultation has generated a public and professional response from a range of respondents across North Yorkshire.
4.2 The majority of responses were in support of the proposals in this consultation. Just over two-thirds of respondents gave support across both questions.
4.3 In particular, the positive reputation and strong brand of YorSexualHealth was noted across several responses to both questions in this survey.
4.4 Whilst there is excellent support in the responses on the direction of travel proposed there have been some issues that this consultation has identified which have been addressed in the joint responses and will continue to be considered as part of implementation.
4.5 Provision of preventative outreach services for Most At Risk Populations (MARPs) and location of community clinics are discussion points generated in the responses.
4.5 Across both questions, there were a number of responses that specifically mentioned the recent decision to end the sub-contract with the organisation that delivered the community outreach service in North Yorkshire. This organisation had delivered services in the county for a number of years. The decision to end this sub-contract arrangement was made by York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundations Trust independent of the proposed Section 75 agreement. This relationship was ended effective of 31 December 2021. All elements of service delivery previously provided by this organisation is now provided by YSFT and has been in place since 1 January 2022. TUPE applied and three of the five members of staff transitioned to work for the Trust.
4.6 To conclude the 30-day consultation feedback supports the proposed changes for the North Yorkshire Integrated Sexual Health Service.