Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust
Newcastle Road, Staffordshire
Stoke on Trent
ST4 6QG
Contact
Steven Andrew Kettle
Telephone
+44 1782672062
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKG2 - Shropshire and Staffordshire
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Other type
NHS
one.5) Main activity
Health
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
NMCPS Pathology Managed Services
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85100000 - Health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
With two separate competitive procurement exercises, UHNM has attempted to procure the future delivery of the Service. However, these processes have had to be abandoned, so UHNM is making two contract awards, to existing suppliers, to September 2028 to allow itself time to conduct a re-procurement of the Service and sufficient time for handover and implementation of the future delivery of the Service from September 2028.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £1
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 33159000 - Clinical chemistry system
- 33159000 - Clinical chemistry system
- 38434560 - Chemistry analyser
- 33910000 - Pathology dissection instruments and supplies
- 45215146 - Pathology room construction work
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKG2 - Shropshire and Staffordshire
Main site or place of performance
Staffordshire and Shropshire
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Service comprises the essential delivery of critical services across four separate sites in the North Midlands.
UHNM has attempted to procure a supplier to deliver the future of the Service but as a result of legal challenges from bidders during each of these processes, has not been able to make an award for future delivery of the Service.
UHNM is currently undertaking preparation for a new procurement process for the Service, to be conducted under the Procurement Act 2023. UHNM expects to publish a preliminary market engagement notice on the central digital platform in May 2025 in respect of this new process and interested organisations should look out for this notice.
However, well-planned, a change of critical analytical platforms across four sites will result in a reduction in productivity during any transition period, and the Service would be affected, particularly in respect of A&E turnaround times. The patients of Staffordshire, Cheshire and Shropshire will also be put at a significant disadvantage and increased clinical risk if this process were not given a sufficient lead-in time.
Due to these complexities, therefore, UHNM expects implementation and clinical change management, plus conducting a robust procurement exercise, requires a target start date of the new Service delivery from September 2028. UHNM has learned from the two abandoned procurements and wishes to allow for sufficient time to conduct a successful procurement process for the future Service involving the following:
1) conducting market engagement;
2) planning and preparing its procurement documents and process;
3) delivering its procurement process successfully;
4) evaluating and moderating robustly;
5) finalising contractual arrangements with the successful supplier; and
6) allowing for handover to the new supplier and implementation of the new Service.
To enable UHNM to have this time to conduct a successful procurement and implementation of the new Service, it is making the following modifications to contracts it already has in place for the current delivery of the Service:
1) Extending a contract with Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Limited, for delivery of the Service at the Royal Stoke and County sites, from its current expiry date of September 2026 to September 2028; and
2) Extending a contract with Beckman Coulter United Kingdom Limited for delivery of the Service at the Leighton and Macclesfield sites, from its current expiry date of September 2025 to September 2028.
The extensions will also include some vital equipment replacement to ensure continuity of current service and mitigation of delivery risks. Any unavoidable replacement of ageing/failing equipment will be kept to a minimum specification so that the current level of service can be maintained without adversely impacting patient care.
UHNM believes that this is the minimum time required to ensure the procurement is successfully completed and implementation is handled successfully, following a thorough planning stage and increased governance throughout the procurement lifecycle. If the contracts are not extended now, they will require extension at a time UHNM will also be conducting the new procurement exercise. This would be disruptive, so UHNM considers it more efficient to extend the contracts now.
The alignment of the expiry date of these contracts will also ensure that the successful supplier in the new procurement to be conducted by UHNM is able to deliver the future of the Service from the same date, rather than having differing commencement dates at different sites. UHNM believes this will make handover and implementation easier for the future supplier.
Therefore, UHNM considers that the circumstances at Regulation 32(2)(b) and (c) Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR) are met. In addition, UHNM does not consider that there are viable alternatives considering that the Service comprises the delivery of essential clinical services and resources (both human and financial) are extremely stretched in UHNM and the NHS generally. While not an ideal situation, UHNM has sought to procure the future contract unsuccessfully and considers the time period to September 2028 will allow it to successfully procure a supplier to deliver the future iteration of the Service.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations
Explanation:
UHNM has attempted to procure a supplier to deliver the future of the Service but as a result of legal challenges from bidders during each of these processes, has not been able to make an award for future delivery of the Service.
UHNM is currently undertaking preparation for a new procurement process for the Service, to be conducted under the Procurement Act 2023. UHNM expects to publish a preliminary market engagement notice on the central digital platform in May 2025 in respect of this new process and interested organisations should look out for this notice.
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
Section five. Award of contract/concession
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
4 April 2025
five.2.2) Information about tenders
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Ltd
Parkview Watchmoor Park
Frimley
GU15 3YL
diagnostics-bids.team@siemens-healthineers.com
Telephone
+44 3306781637
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
National registration number
03050664
Internet address
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot/concession: £1
Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £1
Section five. Award of contract/concession
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
4 April 2025
five.2.2) Information about tenders
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
BECKMAN COULTER UNITED KINGDOM LIMITED
Amersham Place Little Chalfont
Amersham
HP7 9NA
Telephone
+44 1494441181
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
National registration number
00640961
Internet address
http://www.beckmancoulter.co.uk
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot/concession: £1
Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £1
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
The date in V.2.1 should be disregarded when viewing this notice, as it is the date of sending this notice and is completed only as it is a mandatory field which does not enable a date in the future to be entered. The current indicative date for award of the contracts/variations is July 2025.
The estimated values at sections II.1.7 and V.2.4 should be disregarded when viewing this notice, as the estimated value of the contracts/variations is currently to be determined but the field on the form requires mandatory completion, so a figure of £1 has been included to allow successful completion of the form.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
High Court and Court of Appeal of England and Wales
Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
internationalrelationsjudicialoffice@judiciary.uk
Country
United Kingdom
Internet address
six.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust
Newcastle Road, Staffordshire
Stoke on Trent
ST4 6QG
Country
United Kingdom