Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2020-11-24
Buyer: NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership
Country: UK
Contract type: Supplies
Procedure: Contract award without prior publication
CPV classification: 33140000: Medical consumables
Estimated value: 23400000 GBP

Technical requirements: NWSSP on behalf on Cardiff and Vale University Local Health Board wish to inform the market that they have awarded a 1-year contract for a 13 week delivery schedule with an extension option of a further 13 week delivery supply for surgical masks.
NWSSP on behalf of the Cardiff and Vale University Local Health Board wish to inform the market that due to the Covid-19 global pandemic they have awarded a 1-year contract for the supply of surgical masks.
Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered Coronavirus. The Covid-19 pandemic has placed significant pressure on the global supply market in terms of a range of products including type IIR masks, and fluid resistant masks. Covid-19 is transmitted via small airborne droplets emitted by infected people when sneezing, coughing or talking. Therefore, a wide array of protective products designed to ensure protection are used such as face masks. As a consequence of the pace of the virus spread and following Government guidance, surgical masks must be used by all healthcare workings in an inpatient and social care clinical setting. This has significantly increased the day-to-day usage of the surgical masks.
Due to this Government guidance it was essential for NWSSP to purchase a significant quantity of masks to be able to support NHS Wales and Social Care residencies in Wales during this unprecedented time. Following a rapid review of the market conditions and finite supply and demand of the type IIR, all four Nations required a consistent high quality and quantity pipeline of supply for all four NHS nations as well as for social care and private providers within Wales.
To enable this rapid delivery, NWSSP Partnership would like to inform the market that under Regulation 32 (2) (c) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR’s) BTBW International were awarded a one year contract for a 13-week supply of 65 000 000 masks which has an extension option at the sole discretion of NHS Wales to supply an additional 65 000 000 masks. The contract is for the sourcing, audit assurance of manufacturing and delivery and is set up in such a way that NHS Wales can call off as and when they require large scale delivery quantities.
In awarding this contract, the health board met all the tests under the PCR’s due to the immediate risk that Covid-19 posed to all NHS and social care personnel. In these exceptional circumstances, there was no time to run an accelerated procedure in line with PCR’s as immediate and continued pipeline of significant quantities was urgently required.
Covid-19 is a global emergency pandemic and the high volume of PPE required was not something that could have been predicted.
Government guidance is that type IIR surgical masks must be used by all healthcare workings in an inpatient clinical setting when:
— working in an inpatient, maternity, radiology area with possible or confirmed case(s) — direct patient care (within 2 metres);
— working in an emergency department/acute assessment area with possible or confirmed case(s) – direct patient care (within 2 metres);
— labour ward/area – second/third stage labour vaginal delivery (no AGPs2) – possible or confirmed case;


Winner: BTBW Ltd
Award value: 23400000