Digital Histopathology Outsourced Reporting

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has issued an award intending to contract with Diagnexia UK Ltd for the provision of digital histopathology outsourced reporting. This award notice, dated 24th March 2025, falls under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, and therefore does not adhere to the Public Contract Regulations 2015. The procurement, classified under pathology services (CPV code 85111800), is aimed at addressing a national shortage of consultant histopathologists and is essential for maintaining diagnostic service levels.

The trust anticipates outsourcing approximately 20,000 cases for digital reporting from November 2024, with a contract initially lasting three years and an option to extend by up to 24 months. The project is based in Norwich, falling under the UKH15 region. This procurement presents a valuable opportunity for businesses specialising in digital pathology services, particularly those equipped with advanced digital technologies and compliant with healthcare information governance standards.

Suppliers capable of integrating their services with existing systems like the Sectra Histology PACS IDS7 and LIMS (Intersystems TCL) will find themselves well-suited to compete. The specified requirements underscore the need for a seamless digital reporting process, catering to a sizeable portion of the workload, including MDT support and holiday cover. This tender is particularly attractive to SME businesses that can deliver high-quality digital diagnostic services, continuously engage in improvement practices, and provide robust disaster recovery plans, all whilst meeting cost efficiency expectations.