---
title: "Microbiology Referrals - Cambridge Clinical Labs"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06e6d8"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e6d8"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e6d8.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e6d8.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust"
published: "2026-08-18"
---

# Microbiology Referrals - Cambridge Clinical Labs

Buyer: Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06e6d8

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## Summary

Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust procured a microbiology referral testing service for tests that are not available locally. The requirement covers specialist laboratory analysis and referral of samples, with results and supporting clinical information returned to support patient care. Services are intended for the Trust and its clinical users in the United Kingdom. The selected supplier is Cambridge Clinical Laboratories Ltd, based in Cambridge. The procurement is classified as medical laboratory services. The work is therefore relevant to clinical laboratories and diagnostic providers able to undertake specialist microbiology referral testing, manage samples and communicate reliable results to an NHS healthcare organisation. It is not a general healthcare delivery contract: the focus is laboratory testing, associated reporting and clinical support for referred microbiology tests.

The procurement is complete: Cambridge Clinical Laboratories Ltd was selected through a limited direct award procedure without prior publication of a competition, under the Provider Selection Regime. The contract was awarded on 29 July 2026 and is active, with services scheduled from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. The awarded and contracted value is £20,000, with one bid recorded. The stated evaluation considered whether the existing provider could meet the requirement, alongside price, quality assurance, turnaround times, clinical advice, electronic results and appropriate reference ranges. The published rationale gives weightings of 30% for competitive pricing, 30% for laboratory expertise and quality assurance, 20% for turnaround times, 10% for clinical advice, 5% for electronic results and 5% for reference ranges. UKAS accreditation was preferred where feasible.

This award demonstrates demand from Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust for specialist microbiology referral testing that cannot be provided locally. A credible future competitor would need laboratory expertise in the required reference tests, quality-assured processes and the capacity to deliver reliable results within clinically acceptable turnaround times. UKAS accreditation would strengthen a bid where available, although the stated approach recognises that specialist, low-throughput tests may use in-house designs that are not always accredited. Suppliers should also be able to provide useful clinical advice based on relevant expertise, reputation or user feedback, return results electronically wherever possible and supply appropriate reference ranges. The requirement is suited to established diagnostic laboratories with dependable referral, reporting and clinical liaison arrangements rather than providers offering only routine local testing.

## Notice

Microbiology referral testing service

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The contract is for the proviion of Microbilogy Referral tests. Contract Award Statement: The intention is to award the contract to Cambridge Clinical Laboratories Ltd following direct award process C of the Provider Selection Regime. Contract Value: The approximate lifetime value of the contract is PS20000. Contract period: The services are intended to be provided between 01.04.26 - 31.03.27

### Procurement Information

This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 do not apply to this award. The standstill period begins on the day after the publication of this notice. Representations from providers must be submitted to the relevant authority no later than 27 August 2026 via email to ghnt.psr@nhs.net. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR. Decision Makers: Dr A Wort, Joint Clinical Lead for Microbiology & Dr J Moore, Joint Clinical Lead for Microbiology. No Conflicts of interest were declared. Rationale: Existing service provider, will likely satisfy the proposed contract to a sufficient standard. No considerable changes anticipated. Required reference test, not available locally, offered at a competitive price compared to other potential providers (weighting 30%) Lab has the expertise required to conduct the test in a quality assured way - ideally with UKAS accreditation - though we recognise this is not always possible for low throughput specialist tests with in house designs (weighting 30%) Satisfactory turn around times to meet clinical need (weighting 20%) Availability of useful clinical advice (based on national reputation, and/or experience and/or user feedback) (weighting 10%) Results conveyed electronically wherever possible (weighting 5%) Appropriate reference ranges provided where applicable (weighting 5%)

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078673-2026 |
| 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 | 18 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 29 Jul 2026 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £20,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust |
| Locality | GATESHEAD |
| Postcode area | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Postcode | NE9 6SX |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear |
| ITL 3 | TLC43 Tyneside |
| Local authority | Gateshead |
| Electoral ward | High Fell |
| Westminster constituency | Gateshead Central and Whickham |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | Cambridge Clinical Laboratories Ltd |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85145000 - Services provided by medical laboratories

## Release History

- 18 Aug 2026 at 16:09 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078673-2026

## Notice URLs

- http://www.gatesheadhealth.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-06e6d8. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e6d8.json.