Programme Cortisone: Laboratory Information Management System for Defence Medical Services' Deployments and Operations.

1. Defence Pathology is a critical component of the healthcare provided to maintain the health and fitness of the deployed force. This is principally an Occupationally driven, General Practice led, Primary Care Service that includes: Rehabilitation, Mental Healthcare, Occupational Health and Sexual Healthcare capabilities tailored to the size and composition of the deployed population at risk (PAR). For all specialities, the LIMS is the primary repository of data relating to testing and subsequent reporting.
2. In Defence Pathology, laboratory data is generated across four main areas (any future solution must cover each of these):

a. Blood Sciences:Clinical Biochemistry, Haematology and Coagulation

b. Transfusion: Blood Banking, Blood grouping and crossmatching

c. Microbiology: Culture, Serology / Virology, Molecular diagnostics

d. Referrals: Management of specimens referred to other laboratories for specialist testing unavailable in the

deployed space for each of the above; Cellular Pathology specimen referral; Recording of results for specimens referred to other laboratories for

specialist testing.

3. Defence Pathology operates overseas and maritime deployed pathology services on an as-required basis in deployable medical facilities ranging in size from small teams (single resus and surgical bed with no hold capability) through to full size field hospitals (up to 100 ward beds) as part of the DMS. The medical capabilities on deployments should be considered as a network providing care through fixed, mobile and peripatetic service delivery methods.
4. In addition, Defence Pathology personnel are located at four UK based locations (Centre of Defence Pathology, the Training School, and two Joint Hospital Group sites).
5. LIMS products for use in deployed theatres of operations should be able to operate with extended periods of poorly connected or dis-connected network availability and support digital integration in the following ways. Therefore, intermittent connectivity forms a core element of the Statement of Requirements.
6. Defence Pathology’s LIMS requirement will be hosted on DEFMED which is a hosting platform which is used to host Defence medical applications and clinical equipment. DEFMED provides server hosting, managed UAD and direct connection to the Authority network.
7. MedIS Project team will be hosting a Market Interest Day where the CORTISONE programme and proposed LIMS design will be shared with industry. Key details can be found below:

a. Online Market Interest Day (To be hosted on: Microsoft Teams)

b. Date: 5 February 2025, time is to be confirmed in the meeting invite.

c. There will be an opportunity to present existing solutions, but this will be further explained in the meeting invite.

d. The Market Interest Day will cover:

o Who we are,

o What we are looking for,

o Who the suppliers are,

o. Duration of the requirement,

o. Context around critical elements of the LIMS system and their feasibility,

o. An opportunity for the industry to comment on the requirement through a Q&A session.

8. The CORTISONE team intends to provide further details of the requirement at the Market Interest Day. The programme team is intending to better understand the routes to market which could provide access to relevant products and services. Please may you contact UKStratComDD-CIS-ASDMISEngage@mod.gov.uk by 17:00 GMT on 30 January 2025 to register your interest and provide contact details of no more than 3 individuals to attend the Market Interest Day. A copy of this PIN which includes the high level specification will be provided ahead of the Day. If you have any questions about the Market Interest Day, please email the Multiuser above and the project team will respond accordingly. Should you have immediate questions about the LIMS requirement, please send these via email and the project team will respond to the questions collectively on the Day. Additional information: For the avoidance of doubt, responding to this announcement is voluntary and does not start the official procurement process for the CORTISONE requirement. It should be noted that all information released in relation to this PIN is done so on a without commitment basis, is subject to change and does not signal the start of a formal procurement process.