Public procurement notice: Prior Information Notice Without Call For Competition
Published: 2017-06-03
Buyer: NHS Supply Chain acting as agent for NHS Business Services Authority
Country: UK
Region: UNITED KINGDOM
Contract type: Supplies
CPV classification: 24951100 | 33112000: Echo and ultrasound equipment | 33112300 | 33124120
Estimated value: 2000000 GBP

Technical requirements: The NHS has a procurement strategy, which aims to increase transparency, remove price variations between trusts and to streamline product ranges to avoid proliferation and fragmentation. It is anticipated that such an approach may enable the NHS to meet its efficiency and savings targets. That broad strategy was discussed by Lord Carter in his report of 2016 entitled ‘Operational productivity and performance in English NHS acute hospitals: Unwarranted variations’ (the ‘Report’) in which he challenged the NHS to save £700m through better procurement. The NCPP has been developed by NHS Improvement with important input being provided by stakeholders such as the Clinical Evaluation Team and NHS Supply Chain in part to deliver the relevant recommendations in the report and to generate savings. One of the aims of the NCPP is to standardise the procurement of certain suitable products (and/or categories of products) and to aggregate the demand for such goods.
As part of this strategy NHS Supply Chain are undertaking a procurement exercise to establish a contract for Ultrasound Gels, this will include but not limited to; 20ml Sachets; 250ml Bottle and 5L container.
The purpose of this notice is to draw attention to a procurement that NHS Supply Chain intends to commence during the subsequent 12 months. The invitation to tender will be the subject of a separate notice and it is that notice to which potential suppliers will need to respond at the appropriate time (anticipated to be around August 2017).
The contract between NHS Supply Chain and successful suppliers will reserve the right to purchase the same or similar supplies and/or services from suppliers not appointed to the Contract at its sole discretion.
As part of this strategy NHS Supply Chain are undertaking a procurement exercise to establish a contract for Ultrasound Gels, this will include but not limited to;
It is anticipated that the expenditure in the initial 12 month period will be 850 000 GBP to 1 000 000 GBP however this is an indicative value and may vary depending on the requirements of the bodies purchasing under this contract.
It is anticipated that this contract will be for 12 months with an option to extend for 12 months in incremental periods.
NHS Supply Chain intends to enter into arrangements under which it will be entitled to purchase supplies and/or services which it will make available for purchase by 1) any NHS Trust; 2) any other NHS entity; 3) any government department, agency or other statutory body and/or 4) any private sector entity active in the UK healthcare sector. Only NHS Supply Chain can order and enter into contracts under it.
As part of its pre-tender strategy, NHS Supply Chain would also like to engage with suppliers of these products via a Request for Information (RFI). If you would like to complete the Request for Information document in respect of the products which are the subject of this procurement then please follow the below instructions;
Candidates wishing to complete the Request for Information must register their expression of interest. The Request for Information document will then be sent via the Intenda Messaging Centre.
1. Use URL http://procurement.supplychain.nhs.uk/ISS/ to access the NHS Supply Chain Procurement portal.
— View PIN content by clicking on the ‘VIEW NOTICE’ button for the procurement event. This opens a PDF document.
— Applicants will then have 4 weeks from the dispatch of this notice to complete and return the Request for Information document.


Award value: 2000000