Urine-Based Molecular Testing Service

Tender description

Contract for a Urine-Based Molecular Testing Service Lot 1: UHNM requires a urine-based molecular testing service from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027 to support triage of eligible patients on the non-visible haematuria pathway.<br/><br/>The service must provide a safe, non-invasive alternative to routine diagnostic cystoscopy for an agreed low-risk cohort, while maintaining clinical oversight, safety-netting and rapid escalation for patients with positive or high-risk results.<br/><br/>Scope: <br/><br/>The service will apply to patients referred to the UHNM non-visible haematuria pathway who meet locally agreed eligibility criteria. The provider must support home urine sample collection where required, sample return logistics, laboratory analysis, secure reporting of results, and operational data provision. <br/><br/>Visible haematuria pathways, confirmed bladder cancer management, and patients requiring cystoscopy for other clinical indications are excluded from scope unless otherwise agreed.<br/><br/>Core provider responsibilities: <br/><br/>The supplier must provide clear patient instructions, sample kits and return arrangements where applicable; maintain robust sample identification and chain-of-custody; undertake analysis against the defined bladder cancer-associated molecular panel; apply documented quality controls; manage rejected or insufficient samples promptly; and return results in a format that enables UHNM clinicians to categorise patients as negative/low-risk or positive/high-risk for onward pathway action.<br/><br/>Minimum service levels: <br/><br/>Results should be available to UHNM within 7 calendar days of sample receipt, with at least 90% compliance. <br/><br/>Kits should be issued within 2 working days of eligibility confirmation where applicable. Non-conforming samples must be notified to UHNM within 1 working day, with clear re-collection instructions. Results must be returned through an agreed secure channel and be suitable for recording in the patient record.<br/><br/>Clinical governance and safety: <br/><br/>The service must operate within agreed UHNM clinical decision rules, including eligibility criteria, exclusions, result interpretation, escalation routes and safety-netting for negative results.<br/><br/>Reporting requirements: <br/><br/>The provider and UHNM pathway team must support collection of referral date, eligibility decision date, kit dispatch date, sample receipt date, result date/time, result category, clinical action date and final pathway outcome. A monthly KPI dashboard and quarterly clinical governance pack must be available to monitor turnaround times, sample rejection, result-to-action time, activity delivered, cystoscopy avoidance, patient experience, equity of access and pathway safety.<br/><br/>Implementation expectations: <br/><br/>Mobilisation should be completed within 4 weeks, including confirmation of eligibility criteria, clinical decision rules, reporting routes, patient materials, logistics and baseline data. <br/><br/>A 3-month pilot evaluation should assess operational performance, safety signals, patient experience and cystoscopy avoidance, followed by business-as-usual delivery from month 4 where agreed. A full review should determine clinical effectiveness, capacity release, safety, and value for money.<br/><br/>Procurement outcome sought:<br/><br/>UHNM is seeking a provider capable of delivering a reliable, governed, auditable and patient-centred molecular urine testing service that reduces unnecessary cystoscopy for eligible non-visible haematuria patients, releases urology capacity, improves patient experience, and maintains timely escalation for patients requiring further diagnostic assessment.<br/><br/>The contract duration is from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.