Pathology Services Partnership

Tender description

Pathology is an essential clinical service, vital to the delivery of efficient and effective healthcare by preventing, diagnosing, treating and monitoring diseases to keep people as healthy as possible. Building on its knowledge and experience, and with the current Joint Venture contract coming to an end in 2024, The Christie is looking for a commercial partner who matches its ambitions; who can provide an exceptional, high-quality service that meets the specialist needs of a comprehensive cancer centre; who can provide investment for the provision of world class infrastructure; who will embrace the exciting opportunities presented with the co-location of a world leading oncology research centre and; who will provide expert guidance along with the creativity and drive to deliver a modern, thriving, truly exceptional pathology service for our patients. Lot 1: Vision To provide a world leading comprehensive pathology service that supports timely and high-quality delivery of patient care - regionally and nationally - and develops an internationally recognised workforce who, with academic and industry partners, deliver a pioneering programme of research and innovation. Principles/Objectives The new Christie pathology service(s) should include the following: • Create an advanced integrated cancer diagnosis and research pathology facility that draws on the excellence of its partners in advancing the latest techniques for both research and service • Be leaders in academic oncology pathology and research with close academic relationships with the CRUK, NIHR, Paterson Biomarker Centre and the MCRC (University of Manchester). • Create/attract sufficient funding to deliver new/refurbished facilities recognising the limitations of the current estate places on the ability of Blood Science and Histopathology to expand or improve services; • Maintain turn-around times (TAT) and other basic service requirements for Blood Sciences and therefore to retain these services on-site; • Supports appropriate Histopathology facilities and expertise on site with both current surgical activity and future ambitions, and ensure that our world-leading oncology Histopathology expertise is not diluted; • Where possible and appropriate, engage in the further consolidation of pathology services across GM; • Exploit digital networking solutions and maximise digital technologies in the pursuit of high quality, innovative, efficient services which reduce variability of performance across the region; • Expand pathology services into the private healthcare sector; • Ensure a highly skilled and motivated workforce across all departments, with a clear education programme for continual learning and knowledge sharing; • Any proposed investment or collaboration with a commercial partner and consequent development of commercial opportunities should ultimately have a positive financial impact on the Christie and improve the Trust’s ongoing financial sustainability Broad service level scope The new partnership will need to provide the following: • A Blood Sciences Essential Services Laboratory (ESL) to achieve rapid turnaround time necessary for clinical pathways and patient flow, ideally on site to facilitate tight turnaround times, and; • Core Clinical Biochemistry, immunoassay and haematology testing within the ESL to be fully automated, enabling rapid turnaround of test results through pathology workflow efficiencies. Additional information: The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is issuing this PIN to alert the market to a future competitive tender opportunity. The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is utilising the ProContract procurement tendering portal for interested parties to express their interest. It is important to note that this PIN is not a call for competition and as such potential providers will need to express interest in any future tender opportunity once a contract notice is published on the Find Tender Service (FTS) and on Contracts Finder.