RCI Manual and Automated Test Systems (MATS)

NHSBT is looking to award a Managed Service contract for 7 years with option to extend for up to further 3 years. Please see II.2.4 for details.

Red Cell Immunohaematology (RCI) is a specialist function within the Clinical Services Directorate of NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). The RCI Laboratories provide antibody resolution and red cell phenotyping on samples referred from Hospital Transfusion Laboratories and other Laboratories within NHSBT. Reference services are provided from Barnsley, Birmingham, Colindale, Filton (Bristol), Liverpool, Newcastle, and Tooting.

NHSBT is looking for suppliers on the market who can offer a managed service for system to support, as a minimum, manual and automated blood grouping (ABO, Rh D, C, c, E, e, K), antibody screening and identification, consistent with the workload and case mix of RCI laboratories. RCI would expect to be able to undertake trials of the system on NHSBT premises. The test system is required to identify, sample, dispense and test blood samples and include all items required to analyse, interpret, transmit and store results on those tests. Automated testing is required for simpler high-volume tests, manual testing is required for low volume complex tests. It is a requirement that the system is compatible with NHSBT reagents and would meet regulatory requirements in the UK for the duration of its use.

NHSBT is looking to award a Managed Service contract for 7 years with option to extend for up to further 3 years. Further information can be obtained from the procurement documentation available on Atamis eSourcing portal.