Contract for the provision of pathology diagnostic testing and reporting

Concepts

• pathology services
• swindon
• direct award
• provision of pathology
• diagnostic testing
• reporting services
• supply of pathology
• year
• further period
• uhs

Location

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust<br/>Tremona Road<br/>Southampton<br/>SO16 6YD

Description

A contract for the provision of pathology diagnostic testing and reporting services for a period of one year, with an option to extend for a further period of one year.

Total Quantity or Scope

A direct award to UHS for the supply of pathology diagnostic testing and reporting services

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 85111800 - Pathology services

Legal Justification

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (GWH) intends to award a contract under Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii), to University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS) in respect of pathology referral testing and reporting, for a period of one year, with an option to extend for a further period of one year. This to maintain a continuation of service delivery, until the requirement is transitioned into the South 4 Pathology Partnership Trust (S4PP) network. This will be undertaken on completion of the network’s LIMs IT integration project, which has experienced delay during implementation but is now scheduled to “GoLive” in April 2024. UHS is the incumbent supplier and the new contract, whilst transition to S4PP is ongoing, will ensure that the current service is maintained until the described period of transition is complete, without potential risk to patient care and accumulating both cost and resource pressures. To engage another supplier for a temporary arrangement of this nature may result in the following:• A detrimental effect on patient care. Laboratory users in GWH will lose the continuity of analysis of tests being performed by the same laboratory. A shift in reference ranges (depending on the analytical platform used) may result in laboratory users having to allow for a change in analytical references when interpreting results, adding a layer of variation and complication in a series of their patient results.• IT system set-up. GWH relies on NPEX to send samples and receive reports back electronically. A temporary connection would need to be established with a new provider, resulting in the need for both IT and laboratory additional resource and subsequent cost. If manual (typed) reporting is required during set-up, additional staff will need to be recruited while an IT connection is established.• Documents within the laboratory will need to be re-written to incorporate a new supplier, which will require additional resource.• Packaging and transport will need reviewing and changing to accommodate any new supplier. This will result in additional resource to conduct the review and potentially additional cost to purchase suitable packaging.• Turnaround times (TATs) may vary while a new supplier is established. UHS TATs to GWH are both established and consistent, and users use this information to arrange subsequent clinics and consultations accordingly.• As a result of a review of the elements outlined above, GWH considers that for technical reasons described above, awarding UHS is the only reasonable solution to as it mitigates the risk of a detrimental effect on the service and an accumulation of preventable cost and resource pressures.GWH will observe a 10 day standstill period from the date of this notice before entering into a contract with UHS.

Other Information

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