BHR/Transformation of Pathology Services

{
  "id": "048284-2026",
  "tag": [
    "planningUpdate"
  ],
  "date": "2026-05-22T17:43:41+01:00",
  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-06a0e0",
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-PPON-PBMX-8832-GMZL",
    "name": "Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust"
  },
  "tender": {
    "id": "C448895",
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    "items": [
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        "additionalClassifications": [
          {
            "id": "85111800",
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "description": "Pathology services"
          }
        ]
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    ],
    "title": "BHR/Transformation of Pathology Services",
    "status": "planning",
    "amendments": [
      {
        "id": "048284-2026",
        "description": "Modifying title, description and adding a virtual engagement session."
      }
    ],
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "2023/54",
      "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents",
      "scheme": "UKPGA"
    },
    "description": "The Barking Havering and Redbridge University Trust (BHRUT) is looking to establish a strategic partnership to drive transformation of its pathology services. It is exploring procurement solutions for merging in-house and outsourced services to deliver pathology as part of a managed pathology network. The aim of the transformation is to improve operational delivery, efficiency and resilience, supporting the best possible patient care.\nBHRUT is conducting a Preliminary Market Engagement Exercise (PME) to gauge interest in any future procurement of pathology services and obtain feedback from the market to help shape the service specification, investment case, procurement route and commercial structures.\nBackground: With a dedicated workforce of more than 9,500 staff and volunteers and an income of £1.007bn, BHRUT is a large district general hospital providing all the major clinical specialties from two main hospital sites: King George Hospital (KGH) in Goodmayes and Queen’s Hospital (QH) in Romford and community services to a population of around 800,000. BHRUT delivers a comprehensive pathology service including blood sciences, microbiology and cellular pathology. It currently operates as a stand-alone service and is not part of a formal pathology network.\nThe trust requires a future operating model for pathology that reflects the following principles:\nA high quality, safe and effective pathology service that is resilient and future-proofed for activity growth.\nDelivery of a sustainable future pathology workforce by delivering operational excellence, a robust training and development pipeline and creating the conditions for a positive workplace culture.\nEnablement of a strong digital infrastructure and capability. Adopting digital opportunity and technology advances to deliver more efficient and scalable pathology services.\nDrives high efficiency and productivity through economies of scale and standardisation.\nAlignment with the trust’s strategic aims and corporate objectives.\nCommitment to working as part of NEL ICS to address health inequalities at national and system levels.\nA service that creates social value through its activities in terms of the wellbeing of individuals and communities, social capital created and the environment.\nAll further and relevant details are available from the Preliminary Market Engagement documentation.\nThe approach to any future procurement and commercial model has yet to be established. The preliminary market engagement exercise aims to obtain information that will help shape the future operating model, which may or may not be via a procurement process.\nA virtual engagement session will be held on Friday 29th May 2026 at 10.00am The purpose of this session is to present BHRUT’s objectives and requirements and gather feedback from suppliers ahead of a future procurement. A suite of market engagement documents is available on Atamis. The PME exercise will conclude on 12th June 2026 at 17:00\nAll interested parties should email mark.bourke@nhs.net to express their interest or for any initial points of clarification.\nAdditional information.\nThe trust is issuing this Notice to undertake Preliminary Market Engagement. The primary aim of which is an information gathering exercise to inform its approach to transforming pathology services as part of a managed pathology network. The trust is utilising the Atamis procurement tendering portal for interested parties to express their interest.\nIt is important to note that this Notice is not a call for competition and as such potential providers will need to express interest in any future tender opportunity once and only if a contract notice is published on the Find Tender Service (FTS) and on Contracts Finder portals",
    "communication": {
      "futureNoticeDate": "2026-11-02T23:59:59Z"
    },
    "aboveThreshold": true,
    "mainProcurementCategory": "services"
  },
  "parties": [
    {
      "id": "GB-PPON-PBMX-8832-GMZL",
      "name": "Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust",
      "roles": [
        "buyer"
      ],
      "address": {
        "region": "UKI52",
        "country": "GB",
        "locality": "Romford",
        "postalCode": "RM7 0AG",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "Queens Hospitals, Rom Valley Way"
      },
      "details": {
        "url": "https://www.bhrhospitals.nhs.uk",
        "classifications": [
          {
            "id": "publicAuthorityCentralGovernment",
            "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
            "description": "Public authority - central government"
          }
        ]
      },
      "identifier": {
        "id": "PBMX-8832-GMZL",
        "scheme": "GB-PPON"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "name": "Mark Bourke",
        "email": "mark.bourke@nhs.net"
      }
    }
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "planning": {
    "documents": [
      {
        "id": "048284-2026",
        "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/048284-2026",
        "format": "text/html",
        "noticeType": "UK2",
        "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
        "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
        "datePublished": "2026-05-22T17:43:41+01:00"
      }
    ],
    "milestones": [
      {
        "id": "engagement",
        "type": "engagement",
        "status": "scheduled",
        "dueDate": "2026-06-12T23:59:59+01:00",
        "description": "Preliminary Market Engagement"
      }
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  "initiationType": "tender"
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{
  "id": "047751-2026",
  "tag": [
    "planning"
  ],
  "date": "2026-05-22T12:02:41+01:00",
  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-06a0e0",
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-PPON-PBMX-8832-GMZL",
    "name": "Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust"
  },
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        "additionalClassifications": [
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    ],
    "title": "Pathology Network Preliminary Market Engagement",
    "status": "planning",
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "2023/54",
      "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents",
      "scheme": "UKPGA"
    },
    "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.\nThe Barking Havering and Redbridge University Trust (BHRUT) is conducting a Preliminary Market Engagement exercise for a Pathology Network. The purpose of which is to gauge interest in any future procurement of pathology services and obtain feedback from the market to help shape the service specification, the investment case and timetable and help identify delivery models. \nWith a dedicated workforce of more than 9,500 staff and volunteers and an income of £1.007bn, BHRUT is a large trust providing all the major specialties from two main hospital sites:  King George Hospital (KGH) in Goodmayes and Queen’s Hospital (QH) in Romford and community services to a population of around 800,000.  \nThe story of BHRUT over recent years has been one of improvement having exited the highest level of oversight (Level 4) under the NHS Oversight Framework in May 2024.  Despite being one of the most improved trusts in London in terms of performance, BHRUT continues to struggle with financial sustainability due to high demand, staffing costs and the expense of implementing a new electronic patient record (EPR) system in 2025.\nThe Trust requires a future operating model for pathology that reflects the following principles:\nA high quality, safe and effective pathology service that is responsive to the diversity and clinical needs of the patients it serves.  \nDelivery of a sustainable future pathology workforce by delivering operational excellence, a robust training and development pipeline and creating the conditions for a positive workplace culture. \nAlignment with the trust’s strategic aims and corporate objectives.  \nCommitment to working as part of NEL ICS to address health inequalities at national and system levels. \nEnablement of a strong digital infrastructure and capability. Adopting digital opportunity and technology advances to deliver more efficient and scalable pathology services.  \nA service that creates social value through its activities in terms of the wellbeing of individuals and communities, social capital created and the environment",
    "communication": {
      "futureNoticeDate": "2026-11-02T23:59:59Z"
    },
    "aboveThreshold": true,
    "mainProcurementCategory": "services"
  },
  "parties": [
    {
      "id": "GB-PPON-PBMX-8832-GMZL",
      "name": "Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust",
      "roles": [
        "buyer"
      ],
      "address": {
        "region": "UKI52",
        "country": "GB",
        "locality": "Romford",
        "postalCode": "RM7 0AG",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "Queens Hospitals, Rom Valley Way"
      },
      "details": {
        "url": "https://www.bhrhospitals.nhs.uk",
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            "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
            "description": "Public authority - central government"
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      "identifier": {
        "id": "PBMX-8832-GMZL",
        "scheme": "GB-PPON"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "name": "Mark Bourke",
        "email": "mark.bourke@nhs.net"
      }
    }
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "planning": {
    "documents": [
      {
        "id": "047751-2026",
        "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/047751-2026",
        "format": "text/html",
        "noticeType": "UK2",
        "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
        "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
        "datePublished": "2026-05-22T12:02:41+01:00"
      }
    ],
    "milestones": [
      {
        "id": "engagement",
        "type": "engagement",
        "status": "scheduled",
        "dueDate": "2026-06-12T23:59:59+01:00",
        "description": "Preliminary Market Engagement"
      }
    ]
  },
  "initiationType": "tender"
}