Service level agreement for pharmacy contractor provision of a Chlamydia screening support service within NHS Plymouth
This service agreement is between Plymouth Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT) and
……………………………………………………...... Pharmacy (the contractor) for the provision of a Chlamydia Screening Support Service.
Payment will be at the rate of £250 per Pharmacy Contractor for a period of 12 months and a £2.50 payment for each of the returned Chlamydia Screening tests for patients between the ages of 15-24 and who live in Plymouth.
1PERIOD OF AGREEMENT
1.1The period of agreement is for 12 months from 1st September 2009
1.2A notice period of one calendar month is required if either party wishes to terminate this agreement. If terminated by the Pharmacy Contractor a pro rata rebate will be made to NHS Plymouth.
2BASE
2.1The service will be provided in the contractor’s community pharmacy.
3AIMS AND INTENDED SERVICE OUTCOMES
3.1To increase access to the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) by providing additional locations where people can access screening.
3.2To increase access to treatment of Chlamydia infection, if deemed appropriate.
3.3To increase access for young people, to sexual health advice and referral on to specialist services where required.
3.4To increase clients’ knowledge of the risks associated with Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).
3.5To strengthen the network of contraceptive and sexual health services to help provide easy and swift access to advice.
4REGISTRATION AND CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
4.1Pharmacists providing this service will be deemed suitably qualified by duty of their professional training but must be registered as a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) and abide by their professional standards and code of ethics. The contractor must ensure that locum pharmacists, technicians or other staff members to whom any part of this service is devolved have the necessary clinical skills to fulfil their duties and must take responsibility for keeping up to date with current clinical pharmacy practice relating to Chlamydia. The Primary Care Trust may request evidence of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) at any time during the term of this agreement.
5PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY
5.1It is the responsibility of participating contractor to ensure they are covered for providing this service.
6PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY AND DATA PROTECTION
6.1The service will be provided in compliance with Fraser guidance and Department of Health guidance on confidential sexual health advice and treatment for young people aged under 16 years.
6.2Pharmacists and their staff must ensure that the confidentiality of information acquired in the course of their professional activities is respected and protected, and is disclosed only with the consent of the individual, or the their parent, guardian or carer where appropriate, except where such disclosure is necessary to prevent serious injury or damage to the health of the patient, a third party or to public health.
6.3Pharmacist/technicians must also comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998 and should ensure they are aware of their legal and professional responsibilities concerning data protection in the provision of this service.
7ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CONTRACTOR
7.1Contractors should ensure that they and all staff participating in this service are aware of their responsibilities with respect to safeguarding children and child protection.
Service description
7.2The contractor will make available Chlamydia screening kits to sexually active males and females aged between 15 and 24 years. Kits will be available on open display for self-selection by members of the public from floor display units or counter display units.
7.3The self selection units will remain on display for the one year period or until a decision is madein agreement with the local Chlamydia Screening Office and Plymouth Teaching Primary Care Trust for the unit to be removed.
7.4The contractor will display a logo advertising the availability of this service, preferably in the contractors, shop window.
7.5The contractor will signpost suitable individuals to the availability of the Chlamydia kits, for example when individuals are purchasing condoms, collecting oral contraceptive pills and requesting Emergency Hormone Contraception (EHC), as agreed with the local Chlamydia Screening Office (CSO). Advice on how to utilise the kit, how to return it for testing and what will happen following completion of the test will be provided in line with the approach adopted by the local Chlamydia Screening Office. The service will form part of the locally run (NCSP).
7.6The contractor will provide:
A test kit distribution service (all management of results/tracing/treatment dealt with by the CSO)
A signposting and information service
7.7The contractor will offer a user-friendly, non-judgmental, client-centred and confidential service.
7.8The contractor will provide support and advice to people accessing the service, including advice on safe sex, condom use and advice on the use of regular contraceptive methods, when required.
7.9The contractor will link into existing local networks of sexual health and community contraceptive services to provide a robust and rapid referral pathway for people who need onward signposting to services that providing on-going contraception, e.g. Long Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC)and diagnosis and management of STIs.
7.10The contractor will ensure that in fulfilling this service they:
Provide high quality pharmaceutical advice and service to individuals on sexual health and Chlamydia
Provide advice and a service that is compliant with Medicines and healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) safety updates
Abide by the clinical governance framework produced by the RPSGB and the requirements for the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical) Regulations 2005
Inform the PCT if they are subject to a disciplinary or fitness to practice inquiry with another employer or the RPSGB.
Service Outline
7.11The contractor will offer a self-selection Chlamydia screening service aimed at sexually active males and females aged 15 to 24 years living in Plymouth. If approached, the contractor will explain the benefits of screening. If approached by a client less than 16 years of age the contractor will provide the service if deemed Fraser competent (a brief assessment of the young person’s maturity and competency to understand). A locally agreed referral pathway will provide for the referral of people less than 16 years of age who present for screening and who are not deemed to be Fraser competent. If anyone over the age of 24 yrs requests a Chlamydia screening service, the contractor will refer the person to their General Practitioner or Genito Urinary Medicine (GUM) clinic.
7.12The service will be provided in compliance with Fraser guidance and Department of Health guidance on confidential sexual health advice and treatment for young people aged under 16 years.
7.13The Chlamydia kit self selection bin will be positioned as close as possible to the part of the pharmacy used for the provision consultation advice. If approached the contractor may decide to provide such advice with a sufficient level of safety and privacy (including visual privacy where appropriate), which in most circumstances will be at the level required for the provision of the Medicines Use Review service.
7.14The pharmacy contractor must ensure that pharmacists and staff involved in the provision of the service have relevant knowledge and are appropriately trained in the operation of the service, including sensitive, client-centred communication skills. Development of the knowledge base of staff may be facilitated by the provision of local training by the PCT.
7.15The pharmacy must maintain appropriate records on the utilisation of the service to ensure effective ongoing service delivery and audit. Records are confidential and should be stored securely and for a length of time in line with local NHS record retention policies.
7.16Pharmacists may need to share relevant information with other health care professionals and agencies, in line with local and national confidentiality and data protection arrangements, including the need for the permission of the person to share the information.
7.17Pharmacists will be responsible for ordering new stock of Chlamydia screening kits when required.
7.18The PCT will provide up to date details of other services, which pharmacy staff can use to refer on service users who require further assistance. The information should include the location, hours of opening and services provided by each service provider. The information could be assigned an expiry date, linked to set reviews of the data, in order to allow pharmacy contractors to be assured that they are using the current version of the PCT information.
7.19The CSO may arrange at least one contractor meeting per year to promote service development and update pharmacy staff with new developments, knowledge and evidence.
7.20The CSO will be responsible for the provision of health promotion relating to Chlamydia Screening and other promotionalmaterial, including leaflets on EHC, long-term contraception and STIs are available from Health Promotion resources free of charge tel: 01752 437177
7.21The PCT will coordinate the promotion of the service locally, including the development of publicity materials and the use of nationally produced materials, in order to ensure young people and other local health care providers are aware that the service is available from local pharmacies. Pharmacies will use these materials to promote the service to the public and should ensure they coordinate their promotional activities with those of the PCT.
7.22 The pharmacy will endeavour to sign up to the “Safe for Young people” badging scheme run by the Young People’s Sexual Health team.
8QUALITY INDICATORS
8.1The pharmacy has appropriate PCT-provided health promotion and other promotionalmaterial available for the client group, actively promotes its uptake and is able to discuss the contents of the material with the client, where appropriate.
8.2The pharmacy is making full use of promotional material provided by the PCT.
8.3The pharmacy co-operates with any national or PCT-led assessment of service user experience.
9CLINICAL GOVERNANCE
9.1Whilst discharging their duties, pharmacist/technicians/technicians may uncover practice that they consider to be of significant danger to patient safety. In these circumstances the pharmacist/technician will need to exercise their professional judgement but are advised to notify the Chlamydia Screening Coordinator (01752 434865).
9.2All adverse events should be reported to Janet Newport, Head of Clinical Governance at Plymouth Teaching PCT in writing within 48 hours using the trust form. All serious adverse events should also be reported by telephone (Tel No: 01752 4349434 or 01752 434942) within 24 hours and followed up in writing within 48 hours of the event.
10PAYMENT
10.1Payment will be at the rate of £250 per Pharmacy Contractor for a period of 12 months and a £2.50 payment for each of the returned Chlamydia screening tests for patients between the ages of 15-24 and who live in Plymouth.