TB Testing

Concepts

• woking
• blood analysis
• tb infection
• blood tests
• blood test
• active tb
• tb screening
• urgent tb screening requirement
• tb
• tb testing

Location

South East England: Surrey

Description

This one off service provision is required to undertake blood tests to screen a group of 41 individuals, identified by UKSHA, as being at risk of TB infection due to contact in an educational established, a College. The most relevant CPV code is thought to be 85111810-1 for blood analysis services.

Total Quantity or Scope

Urgent TB screening requirement due to the high risk of spread of TB infection identified in an education establishment, college, situation with high levels of pupil and staff throughput. It is imperative that the identified cohort is tested as soon as possible to reduce risk of wider infection and spread. This contract is awarded due to an urgent circumstance. The requirement is for a phlebotomy service to take blood from 41 people. The blood test will be an IGRA. The provider is also required to report the results to UKHSA. Current service providers for TB screening do not have capacity for community screening of more than 10 patients in any one episode of active TB, consequently blood tests and processing needed to be outsourced. The lifetime value of the contract is £3,359.09 for screening of all impacted people on a single day, 23rd April 2025. Additional information: Our current service providers for TB do not have capacity for community screening of more than 10 patients in any one episode of active TB. They can provide clinical support with regards to symptom checking and urgent referrals if necessary but the blood tests and processing need to be outsourced. The urgency is to the infectious nature of TB and the nature of an educational establishment situation with high levels of pupil and staff (and potentially visitor) throughput. It is imperative that the identified cohort are tested as soon as possible to reduce risk of wider spread. The provider selected supplies an "on request" national service for rapid tuberculosis diagnostics via blood test*. They are one of two organisations providing the service, with the other covering only London. Clinical recommendation for screening and possible use of this provider from UKSHA. The requirement is for a phlebotomy service to take blood from 41 people. The blood test will be an IGRA. The provider is also required to report the results to UKHSA. *The T-SPOT TB blood test is able to identify latent infections which, if left undiagnosed and untreated, may lead to active disease and further transmission to others.

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 85111810 - Blood analysis services

Legal Justification

There are limited occasions where relevant authorities may need to act urgently and award or modify contracts to address immediate risks to patient or public safety. These circumstances include where: • a new service needs to be arranged rapidly in an unforeseen emergency or local, regional or national crisis, e.g., to deal with a pandemic • urgent quality/safety concerns pose risks to patients or the public and necessitate rapid changes • an existing provider is suddenly unable to provide services under an existing contract (for example, a provider becomes insolvent or experiences a sudden lack of critical workforce) and a new provider needs to be found. THE CIRCUMSTANCES ABOVE ARE MET. In urgent situations, relevant authorities may make the following decisions without following the steps required under this regime: • re-award contracts held by the existing provider(s) • award contract(s) for new services • award contract(s) for considerably changed services • make contract modifications (without limitation). THE SECOND BULLET POINT ABOVE IS REQUIRED IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE. An urgent award or modification must only be made by a relevant authority when all the below apply: • the award or modification must be made urgently • the reason for the urgency was not foreseeable by and is not attributable to the relevant authority • delaying the award of the contract to conduct a full application of the regime would be likely to pose a risk to patient or public safety. THE CIRCUMSTANCES ABOVE ARE MET. justification for using the urgent circumstances exemption: The current service providers for TB do not have capacity for community screening of more than 10 patients in any one episode of active TB. The urgency is to the infectious nature of TB and the educational establishment being a college with high levels of pupil staff and potentially visitor throughput. It is imperative that the identified cohort are tested as soon as possible to reduce risk of wider spread.

Other Information

** PREVIEW NOTICE, please check Find a Tender for full details. ** This contract has been awarded under the urgent circumstances provision of the Provider Selection Regime (PSR). This contract has been awarded under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. Surrey Heartland ICB, as a relevant authority, considers that the award of this service is urgent due to the high risk of spread of TB infection The service is required to undertake blood tests to screen a group of individuals, identified by UKSHA, as being at risk of TB infection due to educational locality contact. The contract is for a single day, 23rd April 2024. Decisions makers for this contract are: Clinical recommendation from UK Health Security Agency Ruth Acott. Surrey Heartlands ICB personnel: Clare Stone, ICS Director of Multi-Professional Leadership and Chief Nursing Officer No conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest were identified amongst those making the decision to award. The current service providers for TB do not have capacity for community screening of more than 10 patients in any one episode of active TB. The urgency is to the infectious nature of TB and the educational establishment being a college with high levels of pupil and staff (and potentially visitor) throughput. It is imperative that the identified cohort are tested as soon as possible to reduce risk of wider spread.