Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2016-12-16
Buyer: Sykehuset Østfold HF [Østfold Hospital]
Country: NO
Region: NORGE
Contract type: Supplies
Procedure: Contract award without prior publication
CPV classification: 33000000 | 33100000 | 33110000: Imaging equipment for medical use | 33111000: X-ray equipment | 33115100
Estimated value: 29000000 NOK

Technical requirements: Østfold Hospital needs a digital PET/CT for the Nuclear Medicine section under the department of Imaging Diagnostics. The equipment shall be placed at the new Østfold Hospital at Kalnes. The procurement includes service and maintenance agreements.
Based on a previously published competition, Østfold Hospital (‘SØ’) signed a contract with a tenderer on 5.11.2014 for the delivery of PET/CT with silicon photomultiplier detector technology (SiPM; digital detector technology). The machine should have been delivered 20.4.2015. The relevant tenderer is still not in a position to deliver the machine. At the earliest, it will be delivery ready during the third quarter of 2017, and there is still significant uncertainty regarding the completion date. SØ has therefore cancelled the contract. SØ wants PET/CT with digital detector technology based on the high temporal resolution it gives and the advantages of this. PET scanners with PMT detector technology (analogue detector technology) have temporal resolution in the area of 500-600 ps, but SiPM detector technology (digital detector technology) can give temporal resolution under 400 ps. Digital detector technology has a higher signal-to-noise-ration (SNR), higher sensitivity and better spacial resolution. This makes it possible to detect minor lesions and provides better imaging of small structures, that will provide more precise diagnostics and better patient treatment, as well as reducing recording time and/or tracer quantity that may possibly increase the number of examinations and reduced radiation dosing for patients and personnel. Increased spatial resolution gives minor partial volume effect, that will give a more precise quantification of tracer recording. This will be a great benefit in a research context. There is also good potential for research beyond the clinic, as there are very few locations in the world that have begun using PET with digital detector technology. The increased spatial solution is also essential for the execution of already planned research projects in physiciatry/neurology that involves the use of PET home examinations. SØ has undertaken thorough market surveys and has uncovered that there is only one tenderer who current has a completely developed and delivery ready PET/CT based on Silicone photomultiplier detector technology. This tenderer is GE Healthcare Norge AS (‘GE’). SØ is reliant on having a digital PET/CT in operation in a short time, since the hospital has already waited 1.5 years for the solution. Since GE is the only tenderer who can offer the technology, and SØ is responsible for ensuring prudent patient care. SØ cannot wait for another manufacturer to develop an equivalent solution. GE Healthcare Norge AS is currently The only tenderer in the market who can offer PET/CT with digital detector technology, and there is no information about other tenderers who have equivalent products under development. According to SØ's assessment there is a so-called sole supplier situation, cf. Regulation on public procurements § 14-4 letter c. There are technical reasons that only GE is able to fulfil the hospital's need connected with solution and functionality, so that SØ receives PET/CT based on the most recently available detector technology, in a medically acceptable time perspective. On this basis, SØ informs tenderers that the hospital intends to enter into contract with GE for the delivery of PET, CT for the turn of the year 2016/2017. The contract will, at the earliest, be signed ten days after this notice of intent is published, calculated from the day after publication, cf. Regulation about public procurements § 22-3a no. 1 letter b, cf § 18-3a.
The deadline for lodging appeals for this notification is set to be 29.12.2016, 9:00 and should be sent in via email to anskaffelser@so-hf.no