---
title: "Forensic Pathology Service"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-04475c"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04475c"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04475c.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04475c.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "POLICE & CRIME COMMISSIONER FOR SOUTH WALES"
published: "2024-03-11"
---

# Forensic Pathology Service

Buyer: POLICE & CRIME COMMISSIONER FOR SOUTH WALES  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-04475c

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## Summary

The Police & Crime Commissioner for South Wales has completed the award process for a contract titled "Forensic Pathology Service" worth £1,260,000 with Cardiff University School of Medicine. This contract involves providing a highly specialised forensic pathology service to South Wales Police, Gwent Police, Dyfed-Powys Police, and Gloucestershire Constabulary. The procurement method used was a limited award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition.

This tender offers opportunities for businesses in the pathology services industry to provide critical forensic pathology services to multiple police forces in the UK. Businesses with experience in highly specialised medical services and forensic investigations would be well-suited to compete for this contract. Given the specific expertise and qualifications required, competition is limited due to the scarcity of suitable operators and the technical nature of the services needed.

## Notice

Provision of a highly specialised, critical Forensic Pathology Service to South Wales Police, Gwent Police, Dyfed-Powys Police and Gloucestershire Constabulary as part of a joint service to the four police forces in areas of post-mortem and the interpretation of injury, including generation of reports, assistance in legal enquiries, court and other proceedings.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Provision of a highly specialised, critical Forensic Pathology Service across the region of four police forces in areas of post-mortem and the interpretation of injury, including generation of reports, assistance in legal enquiries, court and other proceedings.

### Procurement Information

South Wales Police and Gwent Police intend to award a contract to Cardiff University for the supply of a Forensic Pathology Service. This service is required by the forces of South Wales, Gwent, Dyfed-Powys and Gloucestershire to be provided by pathologists of suitable status, experience and qualifications. The service is currently provided by Cardiff University which hosts the Wales Institute of Forensic Medicine (WIFM). The WIFM is a 'School of Medicine' based unit, providing highly specialised, critical services to the police, coroners and the public in areas of post-mortem examination and interpretation of injury. It is relatively unique in conducting additional work to the post-mortem, known as 'sub-speciality' and includes areas of specific expertise in relation to examination of parts of the human body such as neuropathology, bone pathology and paediatric pathology. Scoping work undertaken with forensic pathology consortia established across the UK to identify another host for the WIFM failed to find a party willing to take over the service. This is primarily due to the highly specialised service - there is a dearth of expertise across the UK in this highly skilled area and to obtain a Home Office licence to provide forensic pathology services to a police force, there must be a minimum of three qualified Home Office pathologists affiliated to a consortium; the size of the demand and geographical area and the alignment of Cardiff University with the University Hospital of Wales and its mortuary and laboratory capability. Other forensic pathology consortia established around the UK provide a service to several forces and coronial areas and are generally location based. We approached the South West consortium during early scoping as the closest consortia to the WIFM but it has no appetite to take on the additional areas. Therefore, the only economic operator able to supply the service is Cardiff University. Competition is absent for technical reasons due to the specialised service, scarcity of expertise, Home Office requirements and the level of demand across the area.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/007723-2024 |
| 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 | 11 Mar 2024 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 8 Mar 2024 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £1,260,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | POLICE & CRIME COMMISSIONER FOR SOUTH WALES |
| Locality | BRIDGEND |
| Post town | Cardiff |
| Postcode | CF31 3SU |
| Country | Wales |
| ITL 1 | TLL Wales |
| ITL 2 | TLL5 South East Wales |
| ITL 3 | TLL51 Central Valleys and Bridgend |
| Local authority | Bridgend |
| Electoral ward | Brackla East and Coychurch Lower |
| Westminster constituency | Bridgend |
| Delivery location | TLL1 West Wales and The Valleys, TLL14 South West Wales, TLL15 Central Valleys, TLL17 Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot, TLL18 Swansea, TLL2 East Wales, TLL21 Monmouthshire and Newport, TLL22 Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | CARDIFF UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85111800 - Pathology services

## Release History

- 11 Mar 2024 at 15:55 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/007723-2024

## Notice URLs

- https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/medicine
- https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA0583
- https://www.south-wales.police.uk

## Provenance

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