Medical equipments

Tender description

Please note this is not the start of a procurement process. A separate contract notice will be published to cover this requirement. Prior to commencing a formal procurement process and to help inform our strategy/ requirements, NHSBT is seeking to engage with suppliers of commercially available automated or semi-automated blood group testing equipment for use as a primary testing technology(s), for ABO and Rh D typing, antibody screening and identification, extended red cell phenotyping including Rh, syphilis antibody screening and sickle haemaglobin (HbS) screening for donor blood samples. NHSBT would like to consult the market to improve our knowledge of all current test kits and systems available in the market place, identify further opportunities and, potential issues, and gauge market interest in the proposed service. NHSBT are looking at all available technology including new technology. Ideally the equipment will be high throughput with walk away operation and the technology will meet the current and future needs of the service, in a cost-effective manner. A complete solution (test system) must include all necessary maintenance, consumables, software and overall support required to carry out the testing and comply with required MHRA regulations by having a ‘CE’ mark. It is currently the thinking of NHSBT to combine similar technology blood grouping requirements into 1 contract. At this stage we are interested in learning what the market has to offer for the following tests and whether it is possible to procure 1 system to do them all: Testing to be fulfilled: — ABO; — Rh D, C, c, E, e and Cw; — Antibody screening — in accordance with the Red Book guidelines for donor antibody screening; — Paediatric antibody screening — in accordance with the Red Book guidelines for paediatric antibody screening; — Titre of antibody positives at 1/10 and 1/50 dilutions; — High titre testing; — K, k and Kpa; — Fya and Fyb; — Jka and Jkb; — M, S and s; — Lua; — HbS (Sickle haemoglobin) screening; — Syphilis antibody screening. It is NHSBT's intention to conduct pre-procurement supplier engagement. This will most likely include engagement days as well as reviews of documents and email communication. The details of the engagements will be issued when known. Initially, please can you respond with details of what you can offer to meet the requirements detailed above. Interested organisations are required to send an email (expressing their interest) to: james.davenport@nhsbt.nhs.uk by no later than 17:00 (GMT) on 8.7.2016, including a brief overview (or a website link) of the Goods/ Services which might be offered. Further information (e.g. the Draft technical specifications, award criteria, intended time-scales, etc.) may be released — for consultation purposes only — to those organisations who express an interest. It is the intention of NHSBT to award a Framework Agreement or contract for this requirement in November 2018.