Official UK procurement notice
Contract for the provision of pathology diagnostic testing (S4 network)
Authority: Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThis is a direct award to Oxford University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (referred to as OUH), for the provision of pathology diagnostic testing under the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) "Most Suitable Provider". This is an inter-NHS contract award
CPV: Pathology services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1This is a direct award to Oxford University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) under theAwarded
This is a direct award to Oxford University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) under the<br/>Provider Selection Regime (PSR) using the "Most Suitable Provider" process. The contract is for the provision of pathology diagnostic testing currently outsourced within the NHS. <br/>As per the NHSE strategy to deliver cost effective pathology services and build resilience, improve internal delivery and deliver social value, GWH will be repatriating some of its existing outsourced testing within its NHS partners for Immunology/Haematology /Blood sciences into the S4 Pathology network hub. <br/><br/>English Trusts are divided into various pathology networks with a central hub arrangement. GWH is part of S4. The network participants are connected via Lims which went Live for GWH in May 2025.<br/><br/>The contract term is for one year, from 06/06/2025 to 05/06/2026. <br/><br/>The estimated contract value for one year is £2,400,000. This contract value is a forecast only. The value of the contract is determined by the test type, actual test volume and driven by patient need. Contract value for 25025/2026 will be subject to benchmark prior to contract expiry. <br/><br/>As shown in the disclosed criteria, the main weighted criteria, Integration, Collaboration and Service is<br/>weighted at 50%, as the key objective to centralise testing within the S4 pathology network, connected via LIMs. The other elements of quality-led criteria total a further 40% of the weighting. Value in terms of cost<br/>has been weighted at 10% because integration, and maintaining the quality of the service is the main objective. <br/><br/>GWH will be awarding this contract under PSR “Most suitable provider” as OUH are the only organisation that is a) part of the S4 pathology network and therefore fulfils NHSE strategic requirements for a future pathology service b) as the hub lead, can deliver the testing required c) from May 2025, will be connected to OUH via LIMs.<br/><br/>OUH already deliver part of the testing requirement under existing arrangements. University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (referred to as UHS) also provide pathology testing services to GWH under long term contractual arrangements. GWH are awarding this under the PSR regime as the “Most Suitable provider” as OUH is a) the hub lead and b) connected to GWH via LIMs. GWH will no longer be able to transfer those tests via any other route. UHS are supporting GWH as part of the transfer of the work into OUH. This process will therefore centralise the inter NHS testing under one contract.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded without competition
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 23 May 2025, 12:37 BST
- Last source update
- 7 Jul 2025, 14:34 BST
- Authority reference
C354875- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-037848- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-052231Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive
- Published justification
This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice (F03) . The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. GWH intends to observe a standstill period of eight working days. The standstill period begins on the day after the publication of this notice. Representations by providers must be made to decision makers by 4pm 5th June 2025. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR'.
Publisher note: This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice (FO3). The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. The standstill period begins on the day after the publication of this notice. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by 4pm 5th June 2025. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.’<br/><br/>Any representations should be forwarded in the first instance to the BSW Procurement Helpdesk, [email protected]<br/><br/>The award decision makers are Noman Manzoor - Director of Pathology at Great Western<br/>Hospitals (GWH) and Rob Webb - Director of Procurement for BSW Alliance, on behalf of<br/>Great Western Hospitals (GWH). Both decision makers have confirmed they are not subject<br/>to any conflict of interest and can demonstrate a clear and transparent application of the<br/>service criteria during their decision process.<br/>The decision process was based on a review of the requirement and the strategy involving OUH as described above against a set of 5 criteria with a total weighting of 100% as published.
Notice history
2 releases on Find a TenderPublished amendments (1)
‘This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) "Confirmation of contract award notice". This contract has been awarded under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. This contract has now been formally awarded using the "Most Suitable Provider Process.’ The stan…
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | £2,040,000 † | — | Awarded |
Contracts
Contract 026222-2025-1 · Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Signed
- 23 May 2025
- Value
- £2,040,000
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1bids | — | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- Salisbury Managed Procurement ServicesReview body
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- OXFORD UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.