NHS Trust Awards Contract for Blood Collection Consumables
Summary
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust has awarded a direct contract for Blood Collection Consumables valued at £729,028.16 including VAT. The contract was awarded directly to Sarstedt due to technical compatibility with existing analysers and automation systems, as permitted under the Procurement Act 2023.
What changed
This notice details the award of a direct contract by the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust for Blood Collection Consumables. The contract value is £729,028.16 including VAT and is set to run from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, with a possible one-year extension. The procurement identifier is ocds-h6vhtk-0670c4, and the notice identifier is 2026/S 000-025962.
The direct award was justified under Schedule 5, Paragraph 8 of the Procurement Act 2023 due to technical reasons, specifically the incompatibility of alternative suppliers with the Trust's existing analysers and automation systems. A market review confirmed that switching suppliers would incur substantial operational disruption and disproportionate additional costs, including revalidation, workflow changes, and staff retraining. The contract is for goods classified under CPV code 33141300 (Venepuncture, blood sampling devices).
Source document (simplified)
Award
Blood Collection Consumables
- East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust UK5: Transparency notice - Procurement Act 2023 - view information about notice types
Notice identifier: 2026/S 000-025962
Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-0670c4
Published 20 March 2026, 4:35pm
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Contents
Scope Contract 1. Blood Collection Consumables Other information Procedure Contracting authority
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Reference
ESNEFT2056
Description
Blood Collection Consumables to work with the trusts existing analysers and automation systems.
Contract 1. Blood Collection Consumables
Suppliers
Supplier not yet selected
Contract value
- £607,523.47 excluding VAT
- £729,028.16 including VAT Above the relevant threshold
Earliest date the contract will be signed
20 March 2026
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027
- Possible extension to 31 March 2028
- 2 years Description of possible extension:
1 x 12 month extension
Main procurement category
Goods
CPV classifications
Venepuncture, blood sampling devices
Other information
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Direct award
Direct award justification
Single supplier - technical reasons
A proportionate market review, supported by NHS Supply Chain, confirmed that alternative suppliers would be significantly more expensive and would create technical incompatibility with the Trust’s existing analysers and automation systems, which are validated specifically for Sarstedt consumables. Switching suppliers would require revalidation, workflow changes, system reconfiguration, and staff retraining, resulting in substantial operational disruption and disproportionate additional cost. The Trust therefore considers that only Sarstedt can provide the required consumables without causing technical incompatibility or excessive cost, and the direct award is justified under Schedule 5, Paragraph 8 of the Procurement Act 2023
Contracting authority
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PJQH-1423-GWPM Colchester District General Hospital,Turner Road
COLCHESTER
CO4 5JL
United Kingdom
Contact name: Kirsty Parkin
Email: kirsty.parkin@esneft.nhs.uk
Website: https://www.esneft.nhs.uk /
Region: UKH34 - Essex Haven Gateway
Organisation type: Public authority - central government
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