Welsh Bone Marrow Donor Registry (WBMDR) Medical Evaluations

The WBMDR recruits prospective stem cell donors both from the blood donor population at blood donation sessions and by the use of cheek swabs. The donors are then tissue typed and become available to be searched by accredited Transplant Centres, or Laboratories acting on their behalf, for patients with leukaemia and other blood disorders. After further testing a donor may be selected as the best matched donor to provide a donation of stem cells. To ensure donors are not put at undue risk it is necessary for them to undergo a medical evaluation to determine their fitness to donate. The donation may be collected via apheresis or bone marrow harvest in theatre under general anaesthetic.

This medical evaluation must comply with the requirements of the ‘Human Tissue Authority’ (HTA) and the World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA) and should be performed by a suitably qualified health care professional that has practiced in the UK for a minimum of one year in the last three years.

The medical examination must consist of, but not limited to, the components listed below:

1. Completing a routing medical examination including medical history which shall include, but not be limited to:

• Physical examination
• Family history
• History of drug and or allergy
• Assessment of suitability of venous access for apheresis

2. Instrumental examination

• Chest X-Ray, where clinically indicated
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)

3. Laboratory Testing

• Pregnancy assessment (including pregnancy test if appropriate)
• Blood Group
• HbS assessment
• Full blood count
• Coagulation screen
• Biochemistry (blood urea nitrogen, electrolytes, creatinine, bilirubin, serum total proteins, ferritin, Ca)
• CRP
• Haemoglobinopathy Assessment
• HbA1c
• Liver function tests where clinically indicated
• ESR where clinically indicated
• Blood Film where clinically indicated
• Random Glucose where clinically indicated

The examination will include the taking of any additional blood samples to be forwarded to the WBMDR and all testing must be undertaken in a laboratory accredited to UKAS, or equivalent, to undertake the specified tests. A final report will need to be compiled and forwarded to the WBMDR.

The contract duration will be for an initial period of two (2) years with the option to extend for a further twelve (12) months. The maximum duration being three (3) years in total.

We invite interested parties to express their interest in this procurement by emailing Joanne Liddle at Joanne.liddle@wales.nhs.uk by no later than 17:00hrs Friday 19th August 2022. We aim to hold pre-tender engagement with interested parties by means of either face to face session or virtually using MS Teams in early September 2022 to discuss requirements to help shape the specification further.