Award

National Pathology Exchange (NPEx) Service

  • Business Services Organisation ITS

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice identifier: 2023/S 000-023419

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-03eeb4

Published 10 August 2023, 2:26pm



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

Business Services Organisation ITS

James house

BELFAST

BT7 2JD

Contact

Catherine Fegan

Email

cathy.fegan@hscni.net

Telephone

+44 2895362561

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UKN06 - Belfast

Justification for not providing organisation identifier

Not on any register

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://hscbusiness.hscni.net/

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

National Pathology Exchange (NPEx) Service

Reference number

DAC11275

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

The National Pathology Exchange (NPEx) was developed in 2009 by X-Lab Systems as a product they call Labnostics. It is a national digital hub allowing pathology test requests and results to be sent between UK laboratories irrespective of the type of LIMS that each lab is using.

The Core LIMS project has secured via its approved Full Business Case (FBC) funding for NPEx services that will provide an electronic solution to eliminate manual workflows associated with referring tests to other laboratories outside of the HSC.

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: £343,500

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKN - Northern Ireland

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The National Pathology Exchange (NPEx) was developed in 2009 by X-Lab Systems as a product they call Labnostics. It is a national digital hub allowing pathology test requests and results to be sent between UK laboratories irrespective of the type of LIMS that each lab is using.

The Core LIMS project has secured via its approved Full Business Case (FBC) funding for NPEx services that will provide an electronic solution to eliminate manual workflows associated with referring tests to other laboratories outside of the HSC.

During 2022 Trusts within HSC sent out ~45,000 tests to other labs across the UK to utilise specialist testing that is not catered for or has limited capacity within Northern Ireland. This is currently a labour-intensive manual process and demand for the service is expected to increase as more specialist technologies and tests are made available.

The consequences of not utilising NPEx are increased manual work for clinical staff supporting this process, increased timeframe, failure of the project to achieve key benefits that provided justification for the FBC, and continued risk to patient safety due to failure to remove the manual processes associated with this work.

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: No


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Negotiated without a prior call for competition

  • The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
    • absence of competition for technical reasons

Explanation:

The National Pathology Exchange (NPEx) was developed in 2009 by X-Lab Systems as a product they call Labnostics. It is a national digital hub allowing pathology test requests and results to be sent between UK laboratories irrespective of the type of LIMS that each lab is using.

The Core LIMS project has secured via its approved Full Business Case (FBC) funding for NPEx services that will provide an electronic solution to eliminate manual workflows associated with referring tests to other laboratories outside of the HSC.

During 2022 Trusts within HSC sent out ~45,000 tests to other labs across the UK to utilise specialist testing that is not catered for or has limited capacity within Northern Ireland. This is currently a labour-intensive manual process and demand for the service is expected to increase as more specialist technologies and tests are made available.

The consequences of not utilising NPEx are increased manual work for clinical staff supporting this process, increased timeframe, failure of the project to achieve key benefits that provided justification for the FBC, and continued risk to patient safety due to failure to remove the manual processes associated with this work.

X-Lab Ltd is the single supplier at of this solution and its support.

Only the supplier of the solution, has the technical expertise to carry out this work and provide connectivity to the other Labs that use the NPEx

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

10 August 2023

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

X-Lab Ltd

Leeds

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKE42 - Leeds
Companies House

05995322

The contractor/concessionaire is an SME

No

five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)

Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £343,500


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Business Services Organisation

Belfast

Country

United Kingdom