Community Outbreak Response Service

Diagnostic and treatment are a function of the ICB however there are gaps in the community in fulfilling these functions in the event of a communicable disease outbreak response, in particular diagnostics (i.e. swabs/blood), contact tracing and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). This is a patient safety risk and creates inequalities due to potential delays in timely review and treatment and the potential to prolong outbreaks. ICBs are required to have provisions in place to support effective, timely, outbreak response for the management of all communicable diseases in the community including education settings and asylum seeker accommodation. Under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, ICBs are identified as a Category 1 responder and therefore have statutory responsibilities, duties and powers which are significant in handling a communicable disease outbreak. This service is commissioned to cover all patients registered with a BCICB GP and all contacts identified through contact tracing from the outbreak/incident. The service specification will cover individual or outbreaks of all communicable diseases, seasonal and non-seasonal, see below. This is not an exhaustive list: • Seasonal Influenza • Avian Influenza • Mpox • Scabies • Measles • All Streptococcus including iGAS • Hepatitis A, B and C • Diphtheria • TB latent screening, the decision to be made/requested via an IMT to support TB team, part of incident/outbreak response in the community. • Sexual Health screening, the decision to be made/requested via an incident management team (IMT), to support Sexual Health Services, part of incident/outbreak response in the community. NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board intends to award this contract to the existing provider via Direct Award Process C as described in regulation 9 of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The contract will be for a maximum of 5 years (3 years with an option to extend for a further 2 years at the sole discretion of the commissioner). The anticipated annual value of the contract is £50,000. Therefore the initial 3 year period will have a value of £150,000 with the additional, optional, extension valued at £100,000.