Health and social work services

Tender description

Buckinghamshire Council is seeking to place two contracts – one for the body storage, mortuary provision and histology (lot 1), and one for toxicology (lot 2). The contracts will commence on site on 1 April 2021 and end on the 31 March 2026.The contracts may be extended by one further 2 year period, and then one further 1 year period. The Buckinghamshire Coroner jurisdiction covers the territorial county of Buckinghamshire, excluding Milton Keynes. The coronial jurisdiction contains major transport links consisting of motorways, A-roads, underground and mainline railways, as well as an airport. It also has one healthcare trust, a mental health unit and two prisons. As with all Coroners, the Buckinghamshire Coroner works to the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. The current population of Buckinghamshire is 540 000 and with 13 % growth anticipated by 2036. There is a well-established medical examiner service in place at Stoke Mandeville Hospital which reviews all hospital deaths, and there is a statutory requirement for this to include all community deaths by April 2022. The contract spend for lot 1 is estimated to be GBP 255 000 per annum and lot 2 it is estimated to be GBP 60 000 per annum. Therefore the total contract spend per annum is estimated to be GBP 315 000 for both lots. Lot 1: to provide accommodation, facilities and staff to provide for full and immediate post mortems, including paediatrics, high risk and Home Office forensic post mortems. Lot 2: The service provider will be required to analyse tissue and body fluids obtained during the post mortem examination for the detection of substances and assist the Coroner to investigate sudden and unexplained deaths within their area of remit, in accordance with the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.