​​ICPMS Analyser Service Maintenance

The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust wishes to award a contract to Agilent Technologies LDA UK Ltd. for the maintenance and servicing of its ICP-MS systems. Agilent is the original equipment manufacturer and have exclusive rights as regards the provision of maintenance of Agilent equipment located within Northern Ireland. The systems rely on proprietary software, firmware, specialist components, validated service procedures and manufacturer-specific calibration processes that are not available to third-party suppliers. OEM servicing is required to maintain the systems to original specification, using validated procedures and genuine parts, and to support compliance with ISO 15189 requirements for equipment maintenance, calibration, traceability, result quality and patient safety. As a result, no alternative provider has the technical capability or authorised access required to safely maintain, repair, and validate the systems to the required clinical and regulatory standards. The absence of competition is not a result of the artifical narrowing of the parameters of the procurement.