Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service
The Jack Copland Centre, 52 Research Avenue, Heriot-Watt Research Park
Edinburgh
EH14 4BE
Telephone
+44 1313145522
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKM - Scotland
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA12722
one.3) Communication
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Health
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Red Cell Serology
Reference number
NSS212204
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 50421000 - Repair and maintenance services of medical equipment
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Please note this is not the start of a procurement process; a separate contract notice will be published to cover this requirement.
SNBTS wishes to contract for the provision of a managed service comprising the supply of Integrated Red Cell Serology Testing technology, incorporating all equipment, test kits, reagents, relevant controls and calibrators, I.T.peripherals, delivery, installation, training and fully comprehensive systems maintenance.
The intention is to split the procurement into 2 separate Lots:
Lot 1 for Patient Services
Lot 2 for Donation Testing.
Bidders are invited to bid on one or both of the lots.
The above requirements are currently managed under contracts and will be re-tendered under Public Procurement rules for a new managed service contract to be operational prior to the expiry of the extant contracts; this for an anticipated duration of 7 years for Lot 1 with the option for three (3), twelve (12) month extensions and 5 years for Lot 2 with the option for five (5), twelve (12) month extensions (to be confirmed).
Notes
The general objectives of this procurement are to maintain and improve the service provided to both patients and donors. It is essential that any outcome achieves the highest quality standards, provides cost effective testing systems utilising technology that meets the current and future needs of the SNBTS. It is also essential that compliance with SNBTS terms and conditions and Public procurement legislation and with current regulatory requirements including IVD Directive are also achieved.
The system requires to be fully automated and compatible with I-Soft or other SNBTS and hospital equivalent software systems.
Prior to commencing a formal procurement process and to help us inform our requirements, SNBTS would like to consult the market to establish the likely level of interest and identify innovative opportunities in delivering a managed service contract.
It is the intention of SNBTS to invite those organisations who express an interest to a market consultation day to be held via Microsoft Teams, on the 20th of August 2021 (time to be advised). As part of the market consultation day SNBTS would expect suppliers to deliver a presentation on their company, possible solutions, future innovations along with how their information systems meet SNBTS requirements.
It is anticipated the contract notice relating to a future managed service contract will be submitted for publication after the market consultation day. All service providers should respond to the published contract notice, even if they have been invited to attend the market consultation.
Organisations invited to the market consultation will not have any advantage over organisations who do not participate in this process. Similarly, organisations not participating in the market consultation will not be disadvantaged.
To ensure that prospective suppliers have an indication of the timetable that is driving this procurement process an indicative timetable has been provided below.
Indicative Project Timetable
Task Start Date End Date
PIN Notice issued -12.07.21
Supplier open day - 20.08.21
Contract Notice advertised - 22.11.21
Invitation to Tender Stage
ITT issued to suppliers - 22.11.21
Site visits – 29.11.21 – 23.12.21
ITT returned 14.01.22
Opening and recording of tenders 14.01.22
Evaluation stage
Technical evaluation of offers 14.01.22 – 14.03.22
Award Stage
Standstill Letters issued – 31/03/2022
Standstill period ends – 12/04/2022
Contract award letter issued – 27/04/2022
Implementation - June 2022 - January 2023
Please note that the above dates are for an indication only of the timetable associated with this project and are subject to change at the discretion of SNBTS.
Can you please advise of your intended participation in the market consultation day?
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: Yes
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Red Cell Serology - Patient Services
Lot No
1
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 50421000 - Repair and maintenance services of medical equipment
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKM - Scotland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Lot 1 - Patient Services
In the last year approximately 172,000 patient pre transfusion and obstetric samples were typed for ABO / Rh & K, antibody screened / Antibody identification undertaken at five sites located in SNBTS Patient Services testing laboratories (Aberdeen, Inverness, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow). SNBTS sites also support a number of remote and rural hospital sites both by testing patient samples and /or through the implementation of SMART fridge technology. Within the contract period it is a strategic objective for SNBTS patient services labs to host SMART fridges on 4 of the five sites, Edinburgh, Dundee, Inverness and Aberdeen
Indicative numbers of samples per annum by each centre are as follows:
Edinburgh – 61,000 samples
Glasgow – 2,800 samples
Dundee – 39,000 samples
Inverness – 18,000 samples
Aberdeen – 51,000 samples
A range of patient samples including paediatric, and monoclonal therapy patients are referred for serological investigation by automated and manual testing; tests performed are:
- ABO RhD and K
- IAT screening (triple screen)
- DAT
- Antibody ID panel
- Serial titrations
- Phenotyping
Testing is primarily performed on patient’s EDTA plasma samples but serum samples may also be used on some occasions. Equipment/assays must be validated for EDTA/serum sample types.
The requirements of SNBTS are complex in that manual techniques in addition to fully automated systems for screening and investigation are required for all assays. Suppliers must be in a position to provide appropriate peripheral equipment and instrumentation to support manual testing.
The five SNBTS Clinical laboratories provide comprehensive, 24 hours per day Blood Banking Services to their host hospitals. Reference work is undertaken for other hospitals in each area. The laboratories vary considerably in size, throughput and the range of tests performed. Thus the equipment needed at each site must be tailored to each laboratory’s needs but yet deliver single system working across SNBTS wherever possible.
SNBTS would expect that customer support would be available during the laboratories core operating hours of 9.00am – 17.00pm, Monday – Friday, any proposed solution must ensure a robust level of resilience to maintain continuous service delivery to our users on each site.
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Red Cell Serology - Donation Testing
Lot No
2
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 50421000 - Repair and maintenance services of medical equipment
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKM - Scotland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Lot 2 – Donation testing
The Donation Testing Directorate requires a solution in Edinburgh (JCC) to perform automated testing. This will include the following:
- IAT Screening of donors (Triple Screen) – 15000 samples
- Full ID panel – 300 samples
- DAT – 2500 samples
- ABO RhD – 2250 samples
- Extended phenotype (Under consideration*)
- Titre (1/50) – 175 samples
*Donor Testing have an interest in a cost effective solution to automate extended phenotyping including Fya, Fyb, Jka, Jkb, M, S, s
Present demand for this test is driven by clinical requirements and can be quite variable each day. Time of testing each day is also variable.
Current testing is performed and reported against red book recommendations.
Donation Testing hours of operation are as follows:
Working day - 07:00am hours to 16:00pm hours Monday to Sunday (inclusive)
SNBTS would expect that customer support would be available during the laboratories core operating hours of 9.00am – 17.00pm, Monday – Friday, any proposed solution must ensure a robust level of resilience to maintain continuous service delivery to our users on each site.
two.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice
22 November 2021
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Public Contracts Scotland Web Site at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=660211.
(SC Ref:660211)