Coming up· published 26 Sept 2025
Pathology services
Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust · Cheshire West and Chester, North West
Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is planning Pathology services. It is a contract for other health and social care in Cheshire West and Chester.
Source: Find a Tender, published 26 Sep 2025. Details are refreshed every 30 minutes.
Key dates
2025
Pipeline notice published
Planning Notice · 13:30
View notice2025
Tender notice expected
Date given in the buyer's earlier notice
About this tender
In brief
Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is planning Pathology services. It is a contract for other health and social care in Cheshire West and Chester. The buyer has published an early notice. It gives providers time to prepare before the tender opens.
Find a Tender published it on 26 September 2025. The notice number is 060200-2025. The OCDS ID is ocds-h6vhtk-05a355.
Summary of the contracting process
The procurement process initiated by the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is currently in the planning stage for the delivery of pathology services. This process is governed under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 and is distinct from the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The authority seeks to identify the most suitable provider for the South Hub Pathology Service in Cheshire West and The Wirral.
The procurement, classified under the CPV code 85111800, spans several key pathology services, including Cellular Pathology, Blood Science, and Microbiology, and is set to progress with future notice anticipated on 5th November 2025. The main procurement category is services, and the planned service delivery will occur through a central hub and spoke model, particularly aimed at enhancing pathology network efficiencies within the specified UKD63 and UKD74 regions.
The tender does not require the provision of new equipment, favouring providers who can efficiently integrate with existing systems and infrastructures.
The notice in full
In 2019 the NHS Long Term Plan set out the key ambition that all pathology services in England would be part of a pathology network by 2023 (now April 2025).
In response to this the Cheshire & Merseyside Pathology Network developed an Outline Business Case which detailed an ambitious Target Operating Model which consists of developing 3 pathology hubs which would work together to make the best use of the assets and capabilities available, and to deliver on the benefits to patient care that are available by working more closely together.
These three hubs cover the following geographical areas: North Hub - Liverpool East Hub - Sefton, Knowsley, St Helens, Warrington & Halton South Hub - Cheshire West and The Wirral To meet the National and Local ambitions Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a provider to deliver the South Hub Pathology Service.
This provider must be able to offer a single pathology service for the geographical area of the South Hub (see table above) delivered through a hub and spoke model. The provider must be able to deliver a single pathology service which consists of a Central Hub, situated in the geographic area, and Essential Service Laboratories (ESL) at Countess of Chester Hospital and Chester and Wirral Microbiology Services (Bromborough, Wirral).
The provider must continue to maintain an ESL based at the Countess of Chester Hospital and an ESL at Chester and Wirral Microbiology Services. The provider must be able to deliver all aspects of: Cellular Pathology (Histopathology and Cytology), Mortuary Services, Blood Science (Chemistry, Haematology, coagulation and blood transfusion), Immunology, Microbiology and Point of Care pathology services within the Central Hub.
The provider must be able to deliver Blood science (Chemistry, Haematology and blood transfusion), cellular pathology (Histopathology, cytology), Point of Care and a small amount of microbiology Screening (COVID, Flu testing) at the ESLs. To provide the service all hospital sites will retain their current equipment from their current suppliers, and so the provider will not be required to provide any equipment as part of this service.
The Provider must demonstrate that they can fulfil the current Pathology service requirements and the future ambitions of the Countess of Chester hospital and our Stakeholders. To provide the service all current sites will retain their current equipment from their current suppliers, and so the provider will not be required to provide any equipment as part of this service.
For the avoidance of doubt this is not a managed service equipment contract.
Lots (1)
- 01
Lot 1Planned
Key facts
Contract
- Service
- Other
- Procurement type
- Standard
- Category
- Services
- Contract period
- Not specified - Not specified
- Lots
- 1
Procedure
- Notice type
- Planning Notice
- Current stage
- Planning
- Stages so far
- Planning
- Published on
- Find a Tender Service
Not stated in the notice: procurement method, awardee scale.
Values
Not stated in the notice: tender value, lots value, awards value, contracts value.
Status
- Tender
- Planned
- Lots
- Planned
Not stated in the notice: awards, contracts.
References
- Find a Tender notice
- 060200-2025
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-05a355
- CPV code
- 85111800 - Pathology services; 85111810 - Blood analysis services; 85111820 - Bacteriological analysis services
- CPV division
- 85 - Health and social work services
Location
- Local authority
- Cheshire West and Chester
- Town
- Chester
- Postcode
- CH2 1UL
- Electoral ward
- Upton
- Constituency
- Chester North and Neston
- Delivery area
- Cheshire West and Chester, TLD74 Wirral
- Region
- North West
- Sub-region
- Cheshire West and Chester
- Area
- Cheshire
- Country
- England
Buyer
Contracting authority
- Organisation
- Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Category
- Services
- Contact
- Thomas Parsonage
- Address
- Chester, CH2 1UL · North West · England
Not stated in the notice: phone.
Documents and links
Questions about Pathology services
When will the Pathology services tender open?
Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has not yet given a date for the tender notice. An early notice is the time to answer any market engagement questions and gather the evidence a bid will need.
Who is the buyer for Pathology services?
Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, based in Cheshire West and Chester, North West. The named contact is Thomas Parsonage.
How do I bid for Pathology services?
Register on the buyer's portal named in the notice, download the tender pack and check every condition of participation before you start writing. Care Sync Experts writes and reviews care tender bids from £1,500 + VAT.
Want help winning this tender?
We write and review care tender bids: quality answers, case studies and social value, checked against how the buyer scores before you submit.
What to do next
- Read the early notice in full.
- Answer any market engagement questions.
- Gather your evidence and case studies now.
- Check your policies are up to date.
- Watch for the tender notice.
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