GP Pathology Direct Access

NHS Ipswich and East Suffolk, NHS West Suffolk and NHS North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Groups (the Commissioners) are currently reviewing the GP Direct Access Pathology Specification to support local GPs and patients within the Integrated Care System. The following Pathology Services are included in the contract Clinical Biochemistry, Haematology, Blood Transfusion Testing, Microbiology and Immunology.

As part of the review the Commissioners are seeking opinion on the specification and are inviting interested providers to review and comment on the draft document. The draft specification is freely available within the following e-procurement portal: https://intendhost.co.uk/westsuffolkcommissioning/aspx/Home

The Commissioners request that interested parties review and comment on the following areas regarding the draft specification, which is available on the link above:

- Regulatory requirements;

- Consultant Pathologist scope;

- Demand management techniques which could be included;

- Logistic requirements

- Any other comments which you believe the Commissioners should be aware of.

The Commissioners are also inviting interested providers to meet face to face to discuss the specification and any comments made on a one to one basis. These meeting will take place on the 5th September 2019. If you would like to register your organisation for these meetings please send a correspondence through the In-tend portal, and further details will be provided.

In order to review the documentation you will need to register on the intend procurement portal and express an interest in the GP Direct Access Pathology Service which can be found on the tenders - current tab, this will in turn release the documentation for download.

The Commissioners request that comments on the documentation are received by 12:00 (noon) 3rd September 2019, as a correspondence through the in-tend procurement portal. Comments are requested prior to the face to face meeting to give the Commissioners time to consider the information, which will make the face to face meeting more productive.

The purpose of this PIN is to invite interested providers to contact the Commissioners. This PIN is not commencing a procurement process, any future procurement activity in relation to the services that are the subject of this PIN may be the subject of a separate notice. The Commissioners are not liable for any costs incurred by those expressing an interest in this process.