IBMS issues joint Primary HPV screening update

Whilst the IBMS, the Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) and the British Association for Cytopathology (BAC) support the move to Primary HPV, at this crucial stage of the bidding process, we feel that NHS England must mitigate the significant risk that bids for this service may be flawed due insufficient time or inaccurate or insufficient data on which to base their bids. To ensure laboratory services bidding have adequate preparation time and sufficient and accurate data, the professional bodies requested an extension to the tender submission deadline which was 16 January 2019.

The letter stated:

“The programme has been aware that the tender process was imminent and the new screening workflow must be delivered by the end of 2019. The consolidation from over 40 labs to 9 will be a highly complex organisational change with significant consequences for staff, quality assurance and the clinical pathways.

Adequate time must be allowed for detailed consideration to ensure patient safety during the transfer of work. However, the issues highlighted above and the relatively short time frame (over the Christmas period) for bid submission significantly compromises the ability of the laboratory service to produce meaningful and comprehensive bids.

We therefore seek an extension to the deadline and the sharing of more details on aspects of the tender. Such an extension needs to be in the magnitude of weeks, not days, in order for this to be an informed and safely managed process.”

NHS England responded with their decision to not extend the deadline for submission of tenders. They felt that delaying the submission deadline would directly affect the timetable for evaluation and would prevent them from awarding contracts at the specified date.

Now that the formal procurement process is in place and currently closed, further discussions with NHS England can continue once the contracts have been awarded in April. It is the aim of these professional bodies to ensure a well-managed, safe and robust implementation process for all involved.

The IBMS will continue to work with RCPath and BAC to monitor the NHS England Primary HPV  screening procurement process and raise concerns that will affect our members.  We shall inform members of any further information we receive from NHS England.