Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Business Services Organisation ITS
James house
BELFAST
BT7 2JD
Contact
Catherine Fegan
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