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Details

Status:
Implemented
Title:
Awarding Healthy Start Vitamins Contract via Direct Award
Include item on Forward Plan
Yes
Is Key Decision
Yes
Item Contains Exempt/Private Reports
No
Reference:
015635/2025
Urgent Decision - Not in Forward Plan
No
Details for Agenda Sheet
Report of the Director of Public Health
Implementation Date (not before meeting on)
Tue 11 Nov 2025
Purpose

The Healthy Start programme is a national initiative aimed at improving maternal and child health among low-income families. It provides free vitamins (A, C, D, and folic acid) to eligible pregnant women and children under four. Birmingham has historically offered universal access to these vitamins, regardless of benefit status, due to high levels of vitamin D deficiency and evidence supporting a universal approach.

This proposal focuses specifically on the vitamin component of the Healthy Start programme and seeks to extend the existing contract with NHS Supply Chain, the designated national provider, for a further three years.

 

Key Portfolio
Health and Social Care
Decision Maker
Chief Officer Decision Maker
------ N/A ------
Reason For Key Decision

This report seeks Cabinet approval to extend the contract with NHS Supply Chain for the provision of Healthy Start Vitamins for a further three years (2 years + 1 year), at a total cost of £450,000. The contract extension will support Birmingham’s ongoing commitment to universal access to vitamin supplementation for all pregnant women and families with children under four, regardless of benefit status.

Relevant Documents
Decision Type:
Committee
Decision Maker:
Cabinet
Directorate
Other Information
Private Reason
Decision Outcome

On 11 November 2025 Cabinet:-

(i) Approved the strategy set out in this report and the commencement of a Direct Award procedure, in accordance with the Council’s Procurement and Contract Governance Rules. This will award a contract to NHS Supply Chain for the supply of Healthy Start Vitamins (HSV) for two years with an option to extend for a further 1 year subject to satisfactory performance and budgetary availability, commencing on 1 January 2026 at a total cost of £450,000;

(ii) Delegated approval to award the contract for the supply of Healthy Start Vitamins to the Director Public Health in consultation with the City Solicitor & Monitoring Officer or their delegate, the Commercial & Procurement Director (or their delegate) and Interim Director of Finance and Section 151 Officer (or their delegate); and

(iii) Authorised the continued universal provision of HSV to all pregnant women and families with children up to and including the age of four in Birmingham, in line with existing local policy and national best practice.

THE DEADLINE FOR CALL IN IS 1600 HOURS ON MONDAY 17 NOVEMBER 2025.

Would the recommended decision be contrary to the budget and policy framework:
No
Decision Options:

Additional Information

Reg 10
Reg 11

Decision Criteria

This Decision does not contain any decision criteria records.

Wards

This Decision does not contain any Ward records.

Topics

Decision

Overview and Scrutiny

This Decision does not contain any Overview and Scrutiny records.

This section displays the history of the Decision.

Decision History

Date & Time CreatedUser Full NameStatus DescriptionDetails
123
 Page 1 of 3, items 1 to 10 of 26.
16/09/2025 10:56:16Maria Pena-DiazBusiness Item Created 
16/09/2025 10:56:16Maria Pena-DiazCommittee AddedCabinet
16/09/2025 10:56:16Maria Pena-DiazMeeting Added09/12/2025 10:00AM
16/09/2025 10:56:54Maria Pena-DiazTopic AddedDecision
16/09/2025 10:58:43Maria Pena-DiazGeneral Details Edited 
18/09/2025 11:41:41Mandeep MarwahaStatus ChangedDecision Proposed [2]
18/09/2025 11:45:01Mandeep MarwahaGeneral Details Edited 
18/09/2025 11:46:16Mandeep MarwahaGeneral Details Edited 
18/09/2025 11:47:48Mandeep MarwahaGeneral Details Edited 
18/09/2025 11:52:21Mandeep MarwahaGeneral Details Edited 

Approval/Comments

No history found.