Laboratory services

Tender description

The Clinical Directorate of Laboratory Medicine processes more than 5 200 000 tests each year, with a total repertoire of over 800 different test types offered. Owing to Beaumont Hospital’s National Specialities and National Cancer Referral Centre remit, a significant proportion of tests are referred onwards to other laboratory sites for processing. This contract concerns the transport and processing of samples that are currently referred to external laboratories by the Clinical Directorate of Laboratory Medicine. While the Hospital’s reasons for “outsourcing” particular laboratory tests vary, generally, a decision is made to refer a test type to an external facility for reasons of efficiency and to ensure the availability of appropriate technology. The Clinical Directorate of Laboratory Medicine processes more than 5 200 000 tests each year, with a total repertoire of over 800 different test types offered. The Directorate’s workload primarily derives from GPs, other external sources and internal demand. Owing to Beaumont Hospital’s National Specialities and National Cancer Referral Centre remit, a significant proportion of tests are referred onwards to other laboratory sites for processing. This contract concerns the transport and processing of samples that are currently referred to external laboratories by the Clinical Directorate of Laboratory Medicine. While the Hospital’s reasons for “outsourcing” particular laboratory tests vary, generally, a decision is made to refer a test type to an external facility for reasons of efficiency and to ensure the availability of appropriate technology. The transport of samples falls within the scope of the contract in question. As will be more fully described in the Invitation to Tender documentation issued to successful candidates, the Contracting Authority’s transport requirements fall under two broad categories: 3.2.1. The collection of blood samples from St Joseph’s Hospital, Raheny for transport to the Clinical Directorate of Laboratory Medicine for processing (circa 5 kilometres). 3.2.2 . The collection of laboratory samples from the Clinical Directorate of Laboratory Medicine for transport to third-party laboratories, both in Ireland and internationally, for processing. The collection times must be such as to ensure the integrity of samples and to safeguard adhere to optimal scientific turn-around-times.