Prior information notice
This notice is for prior information only
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership-Procurement Services (hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust)
Alder House, Alder Court, St. Asaph Business Park
St. Asaph
LL17 0JL
UK
E-mail: nwssp.procurementcataloguepathology@wales.nhs.uk
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://nwssp.nhs.wales/ourservices/procurement-services/
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA0221
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
I.3) Communication
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Health
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Welsh Blood Service HbS Testing
II.1.2) Main CPV code
71900000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
The Welsh Blood Service (WBS) (a division of Velindre University NHS Trust) are looking to appoint a suitably qualified supplier to provide two high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysers to screen approximately 6000 donors per year for HbS.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKL
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Welsh Blood Service is commissioned by LHBs to be the supplier of blood components for customer hospitals across NHS Wales and plays a fundamental part in the delivery of healthcare in Wales. The Service aims to ensure that the donor’s gift of blood is transformed into safe and effective blood components, which allow NHS Wales to improve the quality of life and save the lives of many thousands of people in Wales every year.
Red cells from those donors with sickle cell trait can be safely transfused into most patients, except those with sickle cell disease (SCD), neonates, and paediatrics, due to the higher risk of red cell sickling, resulting in patient harm.
The Welsh Blood Service are seeking to procure two high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysers (it is envisaged this will be via a Managed Service Contract) to screen approximately 6000 donors per year for HbS in the following cohorts:
- Approximately 5000 whole blood donors selected for neonatal use.
- An additional 1000 units per year, selected for extended phenotypes for Haemoglobinopathies patients.
We invite interested parties to express their interest in this procurement by email to nwssp.procurementcataloguepathology@wales.nhs.uk no later than 17:00hrs Friday 14th February 2025. We aim to hold pre-tender engagement with interested parties by means of either a face to face session or virtually using Microsoft Teams in February/March 2025 to discuss requirements to help shape the specification further.
Please note this engagement is in order to shape a business case, and at this stage does not guarantee that a procurement exercise will follow as this will depend on funding being secured.
II.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice:
01/04/2025
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at http://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=147758.
(WA Ref:147758)
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
30/01/2025