Echo Scans Additional Services
Overview
Summary, notice description and lot information
The South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, based in Middlesbrough, is progressing within the procurement stage, focusing on the award of a contract for "Echo Scans Additional Services" to address critical shortages in cardiology services. This procurement falls under the health industry category, specifically cardiology services (CPV 85121231), covering the UKC12 region. The contracting process follows a 'limited' procurement method under the Provider Selection Regime Regulations 2023, indicating an intention to award without a prior call for competition.
The announcement signals the start of a standstill period, with representations required by 3rd December 2025, before the contract, valued at £70,000, is signed with ICS Operations T/A Xyla Elective Care by 21st November 2025. This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses in the medical services industry, particularly those experienced in providing specialised healthcare services under similar regulatory frameworks—a unique advantage due to the national shortage of Echocardiographers. SMEs like ICS Operations, the current supplier, are well-suited given the urgent demand to meet the Trust's cardiology service needs, ensuring patient care continuity and operational efficiency within the Trust.
Businesses with capabilities in echo diagnostics and staff augmentation for healthcare settings might find particular growth prospects in responding to such high-demand, specialised service needs.
The Echo department is currently working with a short fall of three whole time equivalent (WTE) qualified staff. The department also runs at a deficit to allow other areas to maintain provision such as the Cardiac Cath Labs (emergency on call) and CIU at James Cook and The Friarage. The Echo team currently lose collectively 0.75WTE to help support these other areas.
This is further exacerbated by the opening of the diagnostic hub and spoke site in May 2025, a post which South Tees cannot recruit to and requires displacement of staff from the main site.
There is national shortage of Echocardiographers, and the Echo's team have had adverts out for the position three times but been unsuccessful.
As the DM01 figures are highlighting, performance against the six-week wait is significantly below target and this will continue to reduce without urgent implementation of additional capacity. This will not only affect new patients but a large amount of review patients within cardiology service and across the Trust, for areas such as Oncology.
The capacity of inpatient service has also been affected; waiting times for inpatient echo has increased to 72-96 hours. This is affecting the patient flow through the Trust as the department provide a service to all the Trusts specialities.
Thus the need to award to a supplier.
The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by 3rd December 2025. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR<br/><br/>This award will be to an existing provider for services that have previously been undertaken. <br/><br/>Conflicts of interest identified among stakeholders: 0 . Additional information: N/A
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