Laboratory services

Tender description

NHS National Services Scotland was tendering on behalf of Lanarkshire Health Board and Greater Glasgow Health Board (the ‘Health Boards’) for a Managed service contract (the ‘Contract’) for a single contractor for the provision of primary Hr-HPV testing and cervical cytology at the 2 processing laboratories and associated transport of samples to ensure a managed service was delivered for Scotland. Each Health Board has entered into its own contract with the successful contractor. This contract was for the implementation and management of primary high risk human papillomavirus (Hr-HPV) testing for cytology based triage to a re-configured scottish cytology screening programme. Hr-HPV testing will replace cervical cytology as the primary screening method and reflex to cytology-based tests as the triage for women who test positive for high risk human papillomavirus. The operational service vision for the primary Hr-HPV testing and cytology-based triage service was one which includes supply and provision of all liquid based cytology consumables including the logistics of transferring the sample to the site of laboratory testing. Once in the laboratory, the workflow will be managed electronically from test requesting to reporting through laboratory test result algorithms, with the Hr-HPV testing analyses performed on automated platforms, unidirectionally interfaced to a data management system (Scottish Cervical Call Recall System (SCCRS)) using barcode labelling and primary tube sampling for positive sample identification, sample traceability and archiving to minimise transcription and sample handling errors. Following Hr-HPV testing, selected samples will then undergo cytology based triage with the eventual provision of a definitive result and recommended management in the format of an electronic report.