Decision details

The Council is required to set up mass Lateral Flow Testing (LFT) arrangements as part of the Governments pandemic response. The focus of the community testing is on key staff groups and the wider public to help identify people who were asymptomatic positive cases in order to break the chain of transmission. The Council therefore needs to undertake the urgent procurement off goods and services to set up the testing programme to ensure DHSC requirements are met.

The Chief Executive is asked to agree the award of contracts to support the Council in rolling out a LFT programme as part of the national response to COVID-19, at a cost of approximately £346,000 per month. (subject to any changes in DHSC requirements.

“The Chief Executive is authorised to undertake any action s/he considers appropriate to address situations where it is neither practicable not possible to effect the Council’s normal procedures or arrangements for either executive or non-executive business”.

The action taken will be recorded and reported to the first available meeting of the Council or relevant other body.”

See rationale in full paper