Provision of Outsourced Radiology Services for St. James’s Hospital

AI-generated analysis of the documents. Check the official notice and any amendments for current submission details.

1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

The contract involves the provision of outsourced radiology services to St. James’s Hospital (SJH) to address waiting lists for various imaging services. The contractor will be responsible for delivering MRI and PET scanning services, with specific requirements for each service type.

Deliverables:

• Lot 1: MRI Services (Prostate Scans)

• Initial requirement: 2,000 MRI prostate scans per year.

• Turnaround time: 4 weeks per patient, with urgent referrals accommodated.

• Reporting turnaround: 1-5 days.

• Lot 2: MRI Services (Brain and Spine Scans)

• Initial requirement: 3,500 MRI scans per year, broken down as follows:

• 2,000 brain scans (with or without contrast)

• 1,500 spine scans (with or without contrast)

• Same turnaround and reporting requirements as Lot 1.

• Lot 3: PET Scans for Research

• Initial requirement: 40 PET scans per year for cancer clinical trials.

• Turnaround time: 1 week per patient.

• Reporting turnaround: 1-3 days.

Named Systems:

• NIMIS (National Integrated Medical Imaging System) for image management and reporting.

Locations:

• All services must be provided from a facility within 20km of SJH.

Workflows:

• Scheduling, scanning, and reporting must be managed by the contractor.
• The contractor must ensure that all equipment meets SJH infection control requirements and is regularly serviced.

3. Background & buyer context

St. James’s Hospital is Ireland’s largest acute academic teaching hospital, located in Dublin. The procurement of outsourced radiology services is driven by the need to clear existing waiting lists for MRI and PET scans. This initiative aligns with the hospital's commitment to providing timely and efficient healthcare services. The hospital does not guarantee any specific volume of business, and the contract is structured to allow for flexibility based on clinical demands.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must meet the following eligibility and selection criteria:

• Turnover requirement: Minimum average annual turnover not specified for this tender.
• Insurance:
• Professional Indemnity: €6,500,000 (€6.5 million) any one occurrence.
• Public Liability: €6,500,000 (€6.5 million) any one occurrence.
• Employers Liability: €13,000,000 (€13 million) any one occurrence.
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience: Not specified for this tender.
• Personnel: Not specified for this tender.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Facility must be within 20km of SJH.

5. Award criteria & scoring

Bids will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

The evaluation will follow a Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) approach, with no minimum scoring threshold specified for individual criteria or overall.

6. Submission requirements

Bidders must submit the following documents:

• Method statement / response document: Use the named template with specified page limits.
• CVs: For key personnel, with a page count limit.
• Pricing schedule: Format as per the named template.
• Case studies: Minimum of two, with a specified value range.
• Declarations: Including ESPD, Bona Fides, Tax clearance, and Conflict of Interest.
• Mandatory site visit: Not specified for this tender.
• Submission portal: eTenders, with specific format rules.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

Key contract terms include:

• Term: Initial period of 36 months, with an option to extend for two additional 12-month periods.
• Payment terms: Not specified for this tender.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: Reporting turnaround times and service delivery timelines.
• Liquidated damages: Not specified for this tender.
• Termination clauses: Not specified for this tender.
• IP ownership: Not specified for this tender.
• Sub-contracting rules: Not specified for this tender.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

Potential risks and concerns include:

• The requirement for facilities to be within 20km of SJH may limit the pool of eligible bidders.
• The absence of specified turnover and past experience requirements could lead to variability in bidder qualifications.
• The lack of guaranteed volumes may affect the financial viability for bidders.

10. SME fit assessment

Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that can credibly bid should have:

• Experience in providing radiology services, particularly MRI and PET scans.
• The necessary insurance coverage as specified.
• Capability to operate within the geographic constraints of 20km from SJH.
• Consortium or sub-contracting arrangements are not explicitly mentioned, suggesting that bidders should be capable of delivering the full scope independently.

Indicative bid preparation effort is estimated at several days, considering the complexity of the requirements. The presence of a large academic hospital as the buyer may indicate a competitive environment, particularly if incumbents are already established.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: 001 Invitation To Tender Outsourced Radiology Services for St James's Hospital.docx
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified.
• Contact email: Not specified; use the eTenders portal for queries.
• Important attachments: Tender Response Document, Specification of Requirement.