---
title: "Primary Care Pathology Services"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-039833"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-039833"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-039833.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-039833.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "SUFFOLK AND NORTH EAST ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD"
published: "2023-11-29"
---

# Primary Care Pathology Services

Buyer: SUFFOLK AND NORTH EAST ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-039833

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-039833)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-039833.json)

## Summary

The Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board has completed a tender process for the Primary Care Pathology Services. The procurement, classified under Health services, was initiated to review pathology services in the region. The contract has been awarded to NHS West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust. The contract, valued at £34,000,000 over two years, will start on April 1, 2023, and end on March 31, 2025. The Integrated Care Board believes that retaining the configuration of services will benefit patients and the system.

This procurement process for Primary Care Pathology Services offers business growth opportunities for suppliers in the health sector. Companies specialising in healthcare services would be well-suited to compete for contracts in this area. The contracting authority is the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board, and the procurement stage for this contract is complete. Key dates include April 1, 2023, as the contract start date and March 31, 2025, as the contract end date. The primary industry category for this procurement is services, and the location of service delivery is within the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board locality. The procurement method used was an award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition.

## Notice

NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board have reviewed pathology services delivered within the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care System. The ICB has awarded the contract for the delivery of these services to NHS West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust working together to deliver Pathology needs within SNEE ICB. East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust and NHS West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust will be awarded the contracts as they are uniquely placed to continue to deliver the primary care pathology services for the locality. The acute trusts have an integrated provision which includes delivery of pathology services for all acute divisions, community services and primary care. It is believed that retaining this configuration is in the best interest of the patients and the Integrated Care System.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

This notice is made by the Contracting Authority; NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (hereinafter referred to as "the Authority") in compliance with their local standing financial instructions (SFIs) to notify the market of the award of a contract to deliver a Primary Care Pathology Service to NHS West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust. The total contract value is forecasted to be PS34,000,000 over the two year term (excluding VAT). NHS West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust will receive a contract over two (2) years with a total value of PS13,800,000. East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust will receive a contract over two (2) years with a total value of PS20,400,000. The two year contract will start on the 1st April 2023, ending on the 31st March 2025. The Contracting Authority is yet to agree appropriate inflation and uplift for this contract for the period of 2023/24 through to 2024/25. These will be dealt with as Contract Variations in accordance with the NHS Standard Contract Terms and Conditions. The Authority deems any such variations are not substantial or material changes, as they occur due to external causes beyond the Authority's control, including changes in contract value driven by changes in patient volume. The Authority will publish appropriate Notices accordingly to communicate any such future changes to the market, once final. The Authority is to retain the provision within the Acute Trusts named in this notice to ensure the following risks (list is not exhaustive) are not realised: -Clinical risks of involving different clinical IT systems within one pathology system - negative impact on patient safety -Clinical risks and cost brought about from duplicate tests -Reduction in economies of scale when integrated care systems are tasked with being more efficient. -Risk of losing skilled staff or needing more skilled staff across multiple providers when recruitment for skilled pathology staff is difficult. -Destabilising the core pathology function within the acute Trusts Additional information: The Service to which this procurement relates fall within Schedule 3 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 as amended by as amended by The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, (the "Regulations"). As such, the Contracting Authority does not intend to hold itself bound by any of the Regulations, save those applicable to Schedule 3 Services.

### Procurement Information

There are significant risks, particularly around the splitting of a single pathology service. -Patient Safety risk due to split services and multiple records -Patient Safety risk due to duplication of tests -Financial risks around duplication of tests, exit costs from current service delivery The proposed contractual term is for a period of 2 years, the services covered by the arrangement may change and expand as the integrated model develops. The providers are core alliance partners and already deliver all pathology services. Retention of the Primary Care Pathology Services within the wider Pathology service will retain continuity of provision for the Authority's population. There are significant risks associated with discontinuity of provision. -Patient Safety -Financial risks -Workforce disruption -Service disruption -Destabilisation of core acute pathology services and impacts upon core acute services The Authority is to retain the provision within the Acute Trusts named in this notice to ensure the risks (list is not exhaustive) are prevented. The Authority believes competition is absent for the technical reasons outlined above and the potential for patient harm and disruption.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035275-2023 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 29 Nov 2023 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 14 Nov 2022 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £47,800,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | SUFFOLK AND NORTH EAST ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD |
| Additional buyers | NHS SUFFOLK AND NORTH EAST ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD |
| Locality | COLCHESTER |
| Post town | Colchester |
| Postcode | CO4 9QR |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLH East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLH3 Essex |
| ITL 3 | TLH34 Essex Haven Gateway |
| Local authority | Colchester |
| Electoral ward | Highwoods |
| Westminster constituency | Colchester |
| Delivery location | TLH14 Suffolk CC, TLH3 Essex, TLH34 Essex Haven Gateway |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 2 |
| Supplier names | EAST SUFFOLK AND NORTH ESSEX NHS FOUNDATION TRUST; WEST SUFFOLK NHS FOUNDATION TRUST |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85100000 - Health services

## Release History

- 29 Nov 2023 at 17:04 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035275-2023
- 17 Jan 2023 at 14:45 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001424-2023

## Notice URLs

- https://suffolkandnortheastessex.icb.nhs.uk/

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-039833. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-039833.json.