Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Deferred
Paragraph: 35
Assess repeated tendering's effect on sexual health services and consider longer-term public health grants.
Recommendation
Competition for contracts can lead to improved service provision, however repeated tendering and short-term contracts can also be destabilising and lead to the loss of experienced workers. The Government should make an assessment of the effect of repeated tendering of sexual health services on the adequacy of local SHS provision and its impact on the sexual health workforce. As part of that assessment the Government should consider whether public health grant settlements over a longer term would better support strategic service delivery.
Government Response Summary
Despite accepting the recommendation, the government's response entirely focuses on its commitment to tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR), detailing funding for AMR research and a 20-year vision, rather than assessing the impact of tendering on sexual health services.
Paragraph Reference:
35
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
Accept The government accepts this recommendation. We are fully committed to tackling the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and acknowledge that AMR is a complex issue that requires comprehensive and coordinated action across all sectors domestically and internationally. In January 2019, a 20-year Vision stating that antimicrobial resistance will be contained, controlled, and mitigated by 2040 nationally and globally was published. In order to achieve this, it allocates specific global and national funding to progress research, innovation and partnerships. Through the UK aid fund, Global Antimicrobial Resistance Innovation Fund (GAMRIF), the government supports research and development around the world to reduce the threat of antimicrobial resistance in low–and middle– income countries; increase availability of AMR innovations; establish international research partnerships; and procure additional funding from other global donors. GAMRIF works to fight the growing threat of drug– resistant gonorrhoea, including having developed a novel first–in–class antibiotic, Zoliflodacin. The government also funds research on antibiotics and AMR through the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), funded by DHSC, and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), sponsored by the Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT). As the UK’s largest public funder of research and innovation, UKRI has placed significant long–term investment into tackling the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), as reflected in their strategy and individual council delivery plans for 2022–27. UKRI have provided continuous support for AMR programmes via individual councils’ responsive mode funding schemes, targeted cross-council funding initiatives, and the Joint Programming Initiative on AMR (JPIAMR) through which UKRI has invested over £40m between 2015 and 2023. UKRI continues to build new capability through an active £15m programme via their ‘Tackling Infections’ strategic theme, with eight new AMR research networks awarded £4.8m in 2024 addressing interdisciplinary AMR challenges and a £12m strategic call for programmatic investments in development for launch in 2025. We continue to support the PACE (Pathways to Antimicrobial Clinical Efficacy) initiative, a £30M, 5–year (2023–2028) UK-based programme funded by Innovate UK and LifeArc, delivered in partnership with the Medicines Discovery Catapult. PACE will support a new pipeline of high–quality antimicrobial drugs and associated diagnostics by providing innovative researchers in Academia and SMEs wrap–around support in the form of the funding, resources, partnerships, advice and expertise to accelerate early-stage antimicrobial drug and diagnostics. Over the last five years, NIHR programme funding for AMR has totalled £88 million. The NIHR has recently launched a competition for a new round of Health Protection Research Units—partnerships between the UK Health Security Agency and academia—and will include multidisciplinary research to inform the prevention and control of AMR as well as blood borne and sexually transmitted infections. A total of up to £77 million is available for the NIHR HPRU scheme over a five–year period (starting 1st April 2025). An overview of and NIHR and UKRI’s investments, including total funding allocated, is in the public domain on their respective websites. Specific examples of UKRI-funded research relevant to the Inquiry can be found online via UKRI’s Gateway to Research portal, for example underpinning research investments in Shigella, Gonorrhoea and Mycoplasma genitalium. NIHR funded projects can be found on the Funding and Awards website. For example, NIHR recently supported a randomised control trial of the antibiotic gentamicin as a potential alternative to ceftriaxone in the treatment of gonorrhoea. PREVENTION