FOI – 2024-000057 Online Sexual Health Testing Services (HTML)
Date received – 31 January 2024 |Date responded – 21 February 2024
Request
We are researching the use of online sexual health testing services. These services allow citizens concerned that they may have a sexually transmitted infection to order a test kit to be sent to their home, and then to either self-test at home, or return a sample to the laboratory, receive a result usually via email or text message, and to obtain medicines and further advice if required. The services are part of local government public health responsibilities.
Please answer the following questions in relation to online sexual health services.
- Does the authority commission or procure these services
- In each of the financial periods 2021-22, 2022-23, April 2023 to December 2023
- How much did the authority spend overall on sexual health testing services.
- How much did the authority spend on online services.
- How many citizens were tested using online services.
- How much was spent (by the authority or predecessor organisations) in each period with each of the following providers for online sexual health services.
- Preventx
- SH 24
- TDL or their NHS joint venture, Health Service Laboratories.
- Viapath
- Synlab or their joint venture, Synnovis
- Lloyd’s pharmacy
- NHS Trusts/ their laboratory services
- Other. Please name any provider where the spend in any year exceeded £100,000.
- When did the authority last issue a tender for these services.
- When does the current contract expire.
Response
I refer to your freedom of information request that we received on 31 January 2024 requesting the following information:
Please answer the following questions in relation to online sexual health services.
- Does the authority commission or procure these services
- In each of the financial periods 2021-22, 2022-23, April 2023 to December 2023
- How much did the authority spend overall on sexual health testing services.
- How much did the authority spend on online services.
- How many citizens were tested using online services.
- How much was spent (by the authority or predecessor organisations) in each period with each of the following providers for online sexual health services.
- Preventx
- SH 24
- TDL or their NHS joint venture, Health Service Laboratories.
- Viapath
- Synlab or their joint venture, Synnovis
- Lloyd’s pharmacy
- NHS Trusts/ their laboratory services
- Other. Please name any provider where the spend in any year exceeded £100,000.
- When did the authority last issue a tender for these services.
- When does the current contract expire.
We have now completed a search of our records and can provide you with the following information:
Under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act, 2002 (FOISA) an organisation does not have to provide that information if it does not hold that information. NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) does not hold information on online sexual health testing services. I would advise contacting the individual health boards who may hold the requested information, addresses are as follows:
- Ayrshire and Arran - foi@aapct.scot.nhs.uk
- Borders – foi.enquiries@borders.scot.nhs.uk
- Dumfries and Galloway – dg.feedback2@nhs.scot
- Fife – fife.foirequestfife@nhs.scot
- Forth Valley – fv.freedomofinformation@nhs.scot
- Grampian – gram.foi@nhs.scot
- Greater Glasgow & Clyde – foi@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
- Highland – nhsh.foirequestshighland@nhs.scot
- Lanarkshire – foi@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk
- Lothian – foi@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
- Orkney – ORK.FOIrequests@nhs.scot
- Shetland – shet.foi@nhs.scot
- Tayside – tay.informationgovernance@nhs.scot
- Western Isles – wi.foi-requests@nhs.scot
- NHS24 – foi@nhs24.scot.nhs.uk
- NHS National Waiting Times Centre – FOI@gjnh.scot.nhs.uk
- Scottish Ambulance Service – sas.foi@nhs.scot
- Healthcare improvement Scotland - his.foi@nhs.scot
- Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland - mwc.enquiries@nhs.scot
- NHS Education for Scotland - foidp@nes.scot.nhs.uk
- Public Health Scotland - PHS.FOI@phs.scot
- State Hospital Board for Scotland - tsh.info@nhs.scot
I trust you will find the information of assistance and if you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
If you are unhappy with any aspect of how we have dealt with your request, you can make representations to us asking us to review the handling of your request.
If you require any further information, please contact Head of Information and Cyber Security, Digital and Security within 40 working days of the date of this correspondence.
Contact
Email: nss.foi@nhs.scot
Address
NHS National Services Scotland
Headquarters
Gyle Square
1 South Gyle Crescent
Edinburgh
EH12 9EB
If after a review you are still unhappy, you also have the right to apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner, who can be contacted at Kinburn Castle, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9DS, or via their application form.
National Services Scotland (NSS) is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. You can view all FOI responses within our FOI Publications repository.