The purpose of this tender exercise is to select a service provider whose delivery of a Diagnostic Ultrasound Service will represent value for money, high quality service; combined with the ability to identify and implement service efficiencies across the Trust.

The Radiology Department provides a 24 hour imaging service for the Trust. The contract will support the Trust's priority to maintain its imaging and reporting turnaround times to internal and external service users. The provision of excellent healthcare to our patients is of paramount importance. The Trust is committed to maintaining and improving services in the future.

The Trust has identified that it requires external support of between 100 to 250 hours of scanning per month, 2200 hours per annum. This equates to approximately 6 500 ultrasound examinations per annum. There is not a guaranteed minimum activity level.

The Trust is also piloting the SaBINE (Saving Babies in North of England) initiative which is a comprehensive ultrasound surveillance protocol for fetal growth in pregnancies at increased risk. This project may or may not form part of our on-going requirements for diagnostic ultrasound. Therefore, on this basis examination requirements have not been included in the above figures.