RCI Manual and Automated Test Systems

Please note this is NOT the start of a procurement process. A separate contract notice will be published to cover this requirement.<br/><br/>Prior to commencing the formal procurement process, and to help inform our strategy, NHSBT would like to improve our knowledge of all current and future systems available in the marketplace. This will aid identification of opportunities and gauge market interest in this field. <br/><br/>Red Cell Immunohaematology (RCI) is a specialist function within the Clinical Services Directorate of NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). The RCI Laboratories provide antibody resolution and red cell phenotyping on samples referred from Hospital Transfusion Laboratories and other Laboratories within NHSBT. Reference services are provided from Barnsley, Birmingham, Colindale, Filton (Bristol), Liverpool, Newcastle, and Tooting.<br/><br/>NHSBT is seeking to engage with suppliers on the market who can provide a system to support, as a minimum, manual and automated blood grouping (ABO, Rh D, C, c, E, e, K), antibody screening and identification, consistent with the workload and case mix of RCI laboratories. RCI would expect to be able to undertake trials of the system on NHSBT premises. The test system is required to identify, sample, dispense and test blood samples and include all items required to analyse, interpret, transmit and store results on those tests. Automated testing is required for simpler high-volume tests, manual testing is required for low volume complex tests. It is a requirement that the system is compatible with NHSBT reagents and would meet regulatory requirements in the UK for the duration of its use.<br/>It is NHSBT's intention to hold pre-procurement engagement meetings in early February 2022, the date to be confirmed. These will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams. To enable NHSBT to finalise arrangements (e.g. send meeting details and agree time slots) for the supplier engagement meetings, interested organisations are required to send an expression of interest via email to marta.drozdzowska@nhsbt.nhs.uk by no later than 17:00 hrs (GMT) on 21st January 2022. NHSBT will require a PowerPoint presentation to be with information about your offer to be shared prior to the meeting and then presented during. Please note that the meeting will last between 1 and 2 hours.<br/><br/>No business whatsoever is guaranteed under any resulting framework agreement or contract, indeed there is no guarantee that any framework agreement or contract will be put in place in relation to this notice. No compensation etc. will be paid if a tender or resulting framework agreement is withdrawn for any reason. Bidders should take part in this process only on the basis that they fully understand and accept this position.<br/><br/>Please note that all details are subject to change.