UKHSA_Scientific- Provision of Medical Wire MWE liquid swabs for Kiestra automat

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is planning to award a contract via 2020/S 217-533940: UKHSA National Microbiology Framework Lot 1- Diagnostics to Medical Wire & Equipment CO. (Bath) Limited for the provision of liquid swabs for Kiestra automation for use in its Bristol Microbiology Laboratories. The consumables covered by this contract will include dry swabs, wood stick swabs, Transwab products (including swabs and mediums), VCM sigma swabs and Virocult swabs.

The swabs are integral for use our 'BD Kiestra' automation system, which is used for the processing of wound, STI and MRSA screening samples and subsequent identification of bacterial pathogens. Approximately 2000 swab samples are processed on the Kiestra system each day.

UKHSA believes that Medical Wire & Equipment CO. (Bath) Limited is the only supplier capable of providing the consumables we require for our critical screening services. Validation of the consumables took approximately 9 months to complete. During this time, extensive work was undertaken by BD engineers as part of the validation to ensure that the swabs were compatible with the complex automated parts of the Kiestra system, and MWE also modified the swab container lids to create a bespoke product that ensures perfect compatibility with the Kiestra robotics. The Kiestra system and MWE swabs are now perfectly configured to work in synergy without the risk of, for example, jamming swabs or dropping lids, which ensures an efficient and constant flow of samples through the laboratory.

If you have a solution which you believe could meet our requirements, please send a copy of your quote and information about the consumables you can provide to science.cph@ukhsa.gov.uk by no later than 12pm on 5th July 2023.