West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust on behalf of the Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust and itself is advertising for suitably qualified suppliers to provide a clinically led pathology laboratory provision of hospital generated microbiology services as described below.

The pathology laboratory services being procured, which include the other support functions detailed below, are essential to the support of secondary care services. The service to be procured has many cross functionalities with other services who support each other to provide a safe, seamless, effective and efficient service.

Detailed below are the types of services that are integral to providing the current service and which are included in the procurement exercise:

1. Full pathology laboratory service from point of collection of sample to receipt of result by ‘requester’;

2. Transport: from Hospital based ‘pick-up’ points to laboratory;

3. Consumables provision: for sample collection and microbiology analysis;

4. Technology & automation – the provider will ensure that best practice is integrated into their organisation and the delivery of this service;

5. IMT: the provider will be responsible for all connectivity to the three Trusts;

6. Support using electronic transfer of data will be required to multiple sites and offices;

7. Quality management system including appropriate accreditation;

8. Links: for the service to run efficiently and effectively is also dependent upon the links between all parts of the service which need to be maintained as a minimum at current levels.

Further information is available by way of a memorandum of information (MOI) and a pre-qualification questionnaire.

This procurement is being conducted via a web based e-Tendering system that is accessed from www.supplying2nhs.com and referenced as DNWC-8S4CYG.

No other means of response will be accepted.