Provision of a Blood Establishment Computer System (BECS) on behalf of the Welsh Blood Service

Concepts

• cardiff
• software package
• information systems
• blood management system
• blood products
• nhs wales shared services partnership
• transplantation services
• testing services
• additional apheresis services
• specialist services

Location

Welsh Blood Service, Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales

Description

NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership are seeking to appoint a strategic partner on behalf of Velindre University NHS Trust to deliver and maintain a Blood Establishment Computer System (BECS) for use by the Welsh Blood Service (WBS). The contract will be awarded for a period of up to 20 years.

Total Quantity or Scope

NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership are seeking to appoint a strategic partner on behalf of Velindre University NHS Trust, to deliver and maintain a Blood Establishment Computer System (BECS) for use by the Welsh Blood Service (WBS), replacing their current BECS. WBS is responsible for the collection of blood in Wales, and for the distribution of blood products to hospitals, as well as other related functions. In common with the other UK Blood Services and other NHS diagnostic laboratories, the WBS faces significant challenges for the future, such as changing donor behaviours and demand for blood products, challenges in respect of the recruitment and retention of new donors, the need to develop a more individualised donor care package, as well as wider population and system challenges, including the need to deliver services in a challenging economic climate. A failure to recognise, understand and analyse these challenges, and to identify options for the future, could jeopardise the security of the blood supply and specialist services in Wales. WBS aims to collect in excess of 100000 donations each year, necessitating around 300 blood donations every day to meet patient need. Future demand for blood will be influenced by advances in cancer care, the changing population demographic with an ageing population and a more diverse case mix of patients. The UK ambition to increase self-sufficiency in plasma-derived medicines will further increase demand for donations. WBS currently work with 4000 community influencers to help promote the importance of donating and utilise over 200 locations across Wales by providing a community-facing blood collection service. As well as whole blood products the WBS also supply platelets, enabling patients to help fight chronic diseases, cancers and to aid recovery from traumatic injuries. WBS aims to collect around 11000 platelet donations each year for transfusion into NHS Wales patients, of which around 40% come from apheresis donation. In the future, WBS plans to introduce additional apheresis services to collect approximately 30,000 donations of plasma per year for the manufacture of medicines, in partnership with the pharmaceutical industry (fractionation partner). WBS also supports transplantation services in Wales, via the Welsh Bone Marrow Donor Registry (WBMDR) and the Welsh Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics (WHAIS) Services. The WBMDR and WHAIS enable solid organ, bone marrow and peripheral stem cell transplantation by supporting the matching of potential donors to transplant recipients, as well as providing testing services to confirm a donor/patient matching. These services interact with the wider WBS blood supply chain via its BECS platform. BECS is a business-critical system and is the enabler for the delivery of key service and business objectives identified within the Welsh Blood Service 5-year ‘Blood and Transplant Services for the Future’ strategy. A central pillar of that strategy is an ambition to “deliver a more person-centred service and experience for our donors”, to provide individualised and tailored services to our users. The expectation is that the BECS will provide the Welsh Blood Service with a future-proof system, which allows for progressive and iterative change, in accordance with regulatory and statutory guidelines and the ever-evolving opportunities provided through the adoption of new and innovative digital technologies. WBS has identified 3 options for the delivery of its BECS: - Option 1 – Blood Management System (minimum viable product). This option would ensure the delivery of BECS solution equivalent to the solution currently in use within the WBS. - Option 2 – Blood Management System (minimum viable product) plus Patient Management (platelets) and Hospital Rrdering - Option 3 – Blood Management System (minimum viable product) plus Patient Management (platelets) and Hospital Ordering, plus Appointments Management & Customer (Donor) Relationship Management (CRM)

Renewal Options

Contract implementation from 1st April 2025 to 30th November 2027, Contract Start from 1st December 2027 to 30th November 2037 with the option to extend in two 5 year tranches to 30th November 2047.

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 48000000 - Software package and information systems
• 72212100 - Industry specific software development services

Indicators

• Bids should cover the whole contract.
• This is a recurring contract.
• Renewals are available.
• Award on basis of price.

Other Information

Bidders should note that they will be required to enter into terms and conditions of contract as set out in the tender documents and that save for matters of clarification or consistency, the contracting authority will not negotiate the terms. The Contracting Authority is proposing to use the Open Procedure to conduct this procurement. Velindre University NHS Trust will award the contract as hosts of NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership - Procurement Services. For the avoidance of doubt, the Welsh Blood Service will be entering into the contract with the appointed provider. All tender costs and liabilities incurred by bidders shall be the sole responsibility of the bidders. The contracting authority reserves the right to award the Contract in whole or in part. The contracting authority reserves the right to pause, halt and/or annul the tendering process and not to award the Contract. The Contract to which this procurement relates are funded via Welsh Government funding. Please refer to the invitation to tender for rights reserved to the contracting authority should the said funding cease or reduce. Delivery of the requirement under the proposed Contract is on or around 1st April 2025. To complete your formal proposal, please access the ITT via the Bravo eTender Wales portal where you will find a full suite of tender documentation. 1. Register your company on the eSourcing portal (this is only required once) - Browse the eSourcing portal: https://etenderwales.bravosolution.co.uk/ and click the link to register - Accept the Ts and Cs and click 'continue' - Enter your correct business/user details 2. Express and interest in the tender - Log into the portal with the username/password - Click the 'ITT Open to all suppliers' link - Click on itt_112541 - Click the 'express interest' button at the top of the page - This will move the ITT into your 'my ITT's page (this is a secure area reserved for your projects only) - You can now access any attachments by clicking 'buyer attachments' in the 'ITT details' box 3. Responding to the tender - Click 'my response' under 'ITT details' and you can choose to 'create response' or to 'decline to respond' (please give a reason if declining) - You can now use the 'messages' function to communicate with the buyer and seek any clarification - Note the deadline for completion and then follow the on screen instructions to complete the tender response. Under the terms of this contract the successful supplier(s) will be required to deliver Community Benefits in support of the authority’s economic and social objectives. Accordingly, contract performance conditions may relate in particular to social and environmental considerations. The Community Benefits included in this contract are: detailed within the tender documentation. (WA Ref:143871) The buyer considers that this contract is suitable for consortia.