United Kingdom-Cardiff: Blood Glucose Meters & Associated Consumables

Type of document: Contract Notice
Country: United Kingdom
Publication Ref: (2021/S 000-025199/EN)
Nature of contract: Supply contract
Procedure: Award of a contract without prior publication
Type of bid required: Not applicable

Voluntary ex ante transparency notice
Supplies

Section I: Contracting authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Official name: NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership-Procurement Services (hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust)
Postal address: 4-5 Charnwood Court,, Heol Billingsley, Parc Nantgarw
Town: Cardiff
Postal code: CF15 7QZ
Country: United Kingdom
Contact Person: Richard Clayfield
Telephone: +44 1639684431
Email: richard.clayfield@wales.nhs.uk
Internet address(es):
Main address:
Address of the buyer profile:

I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Health

Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title: Blood Glucose Meters & Associated Consumables
II.1.2) Main CPV code: 33696200
II.1.3) Type of contract Supplies
II.1.4) Short Description:
Supply of Blood testing equipment (Glucose Meters) & associated consumables (Test-strips), together with EQA & IQA
II.1.6) Information about lots
The contract is divided into lots: no
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement(excluding VAT)
Value:468765
Currency:GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.2)Additional CPV code(s)
Main CPV code: 33696200

II.2.3) Place of performance
Nuts code: Main site or place of performance:Swansea Bay University Health Board Hospital sites and Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend.

II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Blood glucose monitoring refers to testing the concentration of glucose in the blood to aid the management of Diabetes types 1 & 2. Similarly, monitoring the presence of ketones in the blood is also important as high levels can result in complications such as Ketoacidosis.
This procurement will involve the supply of Blood glucose monitoring equipment (meters) and associated consumables (Test-strips) for the Point of Care Testing (POCT) Service at Swansea Bay University Health Board & Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend. This will be to renew the existing arrangement with Abbott Laboratories for a further two years.

II.2.5) Award criteria
II.2.11) Information about options
Options: no
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the Official Journal of the European Union in the cases listed below
(please complete point 2 of the Annex D)
IV.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement(GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: no
IV.2) Administrative information

Section V: Award of contract/concession
V.2) Award of contract/concession
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract/concession award decision:2021-10-05
V.2.2) Information about tenders
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Official name: Abbott Laboratories Ltd
Postal address: Abbott House, Vanwall Business Park
Town: Maidenhead
Postal code: SL64XE
Country: United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 1628644
Nuts code:
The contractor is an SME: no

V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot/concession(excluding VAT)
for framework agreements – total maximum value for this lot
for contracts based on framework agreements, if required – value of contract(s) for this lot not included in
previous contract award notices

Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information:
NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at
(WA Ref:114702)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Official name: High Court
Postal address: Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand
Town: London
Postal code: WC2A 2LL
Country: United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 2079477501

VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice:
2021-10-08

Other justification for the award of the contract without prior publication of a call for competition
in the Official Journal of the European Union
The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive

3.Explanation
Please explain in a clear and comprehensive manner why the award of the contract without prior publication in the Official Journal of the European Union
is lawful, by stating the relevant facts and, as appropriate, the conclusions of law in accordance with the directive:
The current contract with Abbott Laboratories ended on the 30th September 2021. The Health Board’s intention was to enter into a 2 year contract with Abbott Laboratories through a direct award, under the terms of a Public Sector Framework. this would enable sufficient time for NWSSP Shared Services Procurement to undertake a formal market-test exercise, to award a new All Wales Framework in Autumn of 2023. Currently, the Health Board’s POCT Service are not able to contemplate an alternative supplier for the reasons outlined below:
Within SBU there are 3,279 active operators and the POCT Team also support another 937 on the Princess of Wales site, under the terms of an SLA.
The migration of operators to a completely new device would need to be completed on a rolling basis, with full training to every member of staff. The POCT Team are not in a position to support this due to the extra training demands in relation to Covid-19 and clinical areas are finding it difficult to release staff to attend training due to staffing pressures.
The current management of testing allows for staff to move flexibly from one area or site to another. During the process of migration, this flexibility will be lost to some degree with some areas using the new meter and other areas using the existing. This could expose the Health Board to risk, given current staffing pressures.
Abbott Laboratories have now advised that they are withdrawing from all national framework agreements, for commercial reasons, with immediate effect. Consequently, the opportunity to direct award under the auspices of a Public Sector Framework to Abbott Laboratories is no longer feasible. Therefore, for the reasons outlined above and to ensure continuity of service for patient care, the Health Board has no option but to extend for two years without any formal underpinning Framework. In the interim, the Health Board is committed to the All Wales market test which will come to fruition in Autumn 2023 for a new formal contract for Point of Care Blood Glucose & Ketone Testing.