Tender for a Managed Service Contract (MSC) for Molecular Diagnostics, including provision for the successful bidder to procure further sub-categories of Microbiology on behalf of the Southern Counties Pathology Network (SCP)

Southern Counties Pathology (SCP) is a procurement consortium of NHS and Foundation Trusts that forms the NHS Improvement South 6 Pathology Network. The SCP consists of:

Isle of Wight NHS Trust

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust comprise One Dorset Pathology

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust

University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (Not participating in this tender)

SCP is undertaking a procurement to appoint a fully managed service contract, which includes but is not limited to, the provision of equipment, consumables, ancillary items, maintenance, building works, IT integration, quality controls and staff training required for the provision of molecular diagnostics across the Network.

The total estimated value of Microbiology across the Trusts participating in this tender is £118,000,000 over the life of the contract. The total estimated value of Molecular Diagnostics, which is a sub category of Microbiology, is estimated as circa. £36,000,000 over the life of the contract. The individual values per Trust for molecular diagnostics are available in the invitation to tender documents. A year-on-year uplift of 4% has been added to reflect predicted growth.

The successful bidder must also demonstrate they have the capacity and capability to run both mini competitions and fully compliant procurements under Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015) for SCP future requirements including further sub-categories of Microbiology.

The total value of Microbiology (excluding Molecular Diagnostics) between 2022 and 2031 is estimated at £82,000,000 and includes but is not limited to, the following sub-categories.

Tests currently processed outside the SCP Network

•Blood culture diagnostics

•Procurement of culture media (conventional & chromogenic)

•Urine analysis (microscopy & culture)

•Antimicrobial susceptibility testing

•Microbial identification systems

•Automation for microbial culture

•Mycobacterial diagnosis

The managed service contract for Molecular Diagnostics and any future contracts appointed within Microbiology, will complete co-terminus with the over-arching SCP Pathology managed service contract, on 19th July 2031