Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2023-09-29
Buyer: Health Service Executive HSE
Country: IE
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Contract award without prior publication
CPV classification: 85100000: Health services
Estimated value: 20000000 EUR

Technical requirements: The objective of this Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency (VEAT) notice is to inform the market of University Hospital Waterford’s intention to enter into a contract with UPMC Whitfield Hospital Waterford in accordance with Article 32.2(b) (i.e. the works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for reason (ii) competition is absent for technical reasons.
University Hospital Waterford (UHW) is one of eight designated Cancer Centres in Ireland and provides services for the approx. 500,000 population in the Waterford/CHO5/ HSE Dublin and South East catchment area. A treatment plan for a patient with cancer can include one or a combination of: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Radiotherapy is the safe use of controlled doses of ionising radiation to treat people who have cancer. Radiotherapy is normally provided on an outpatient (OP) basis but patients may be admitted to their local cancer centre due to their overall condition, concurrent chemotherapy or co- morbidities rather than as a result of their radiotherapy. UHW has the capacity to provide surgery and chemotherapy but does not have radiotherapy facilities and there is currently a demand for approx. 500 patients per year who require this treatment.
The National Plan for Radiation Oncology (NPRO) states that it is important radiation oncology services provide an equitable and quality service for all patients in Ireland, stating that as part of cancer treatment radiation oncology should be integrated with general oncology services in the regions providing feedback on a timely basis regarding KPI’s activity etc. NCCP National guidance is available for best practise in Radiotherapy.
1.	Patients need to access radiation on a daily basis for a number of weeks.  Therefore, location in the catchment area of University Hospital Waterford is important for equitable patient access.
2.	The Radiation Oncologists treating the patients in the Radiation Oncology facility need to attend a number of multi-disciplinary meetings on site in the Local Regional Hospital to ensure optimum patient care.
3.	Patients need to have agreed pathways for emergency care when needed and quick access to admission to University Hospital Waterford when necessary.
4.	Close integration with other cancer treatment modalities is important for scheduling especially in patients needing concurrent radiation with chemotherapy (i.e. treatment with both modalities simultaneously).
5.	Better working relationships are facilitated by close integration with University Hospital Waterford which will be providing other cancer treatments and work up.
6.	Patients (especially palliative patients) may have complex medical needs needing close cooperation in management with other medical specialties.
It is therefore clinically essential that radiotherapy services be provided as close as possible to UHW. Market research was conducted and there is only one provider, UPMC Whitfield Hospital Waterford, in the Waterford/CHO5/HSE Dublin and South East catchment area who can provide the required radiotherapy services. UHW therefore intend to enter into a commercial agreement with UPMC Whitfield to deliver the required services for a period up to three years with an option to extend for a further twelve months.
There is currently a Service Level Agreement (SLA) in place between UHW and UPMC but this expires on 31 December 2023. The estimated value of the new commercial agreement is €20m over a four year term.
University Hospital Waterford (UHW) is one of eight designated Cancer Centres in Ireland and provides services for the approx. 500,000 population in the Waterford/CHO5/ HSE Dublin and South East catchment area. A treatment plan for a patient with cancer can include one or a combination of: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Radiotherapy is the safe use of controlled doses of ionising radiation to treat people who have cancer. Radiotherapy is normally provided on an outpatient (OP) basis but patients may be admitted to their local cancer centre due to their overall condition, concurrent chemotherapy or co- morbidities rather than as a result of their radiotherapy. UHW has the capacity to provide surgery and chemotherapy but does not have radiotherapy facilities and there is currently a demand for approx. 500 patients per year who require this treatment.
The National Plan for Radiation Oncology (NPRO) states that it is important radiation oncology services provide an equitable and quality service for all patients in Ireland, stating that as part of cancer treatment radiation oncology should be integrated with general oncology services in the regions providing feedback on a timely basis regarding KPI’s activity etc. NCCP National guidance is available for best practise in Radiotherapy.
1.	Patients need to access radiation on a daily basis for a number of weeks.  Therefore, location in the catchment area of University Hospital Waterford is important for equitable patient access.
2.	The Radiation Oncologists treating the patients in the Radiation Oncology facility need to attend a number of multi-disciplinary meetings on site in the Local Regional Hospital to ensure optimum patient care.


Winner: UPMC Hillman Centre
Award value: 20000000