Capital Purchase of ECT Replacement

Swansea Bay University Health Board (SBUHB) provides Electroconvulsive Therapy.

The machines currently in the ECT suite have exceeded their operational life and are suffering recurrent faults, because of their age, sourcing replacement parts for any future failure has become significantly difficult.

The THYMATRON System IV is a specialist integrated ECT device delivering a controlled ECT stimulus with integrated physiological monitoring and treatment documentation.

The contracting authority has determined that, due to the specialist technical requirements of the ECT equipment required, DANTEC DYNAMICS LTD is the only supplier capable of supplying equipment that meets the requirement. Market research has identified other manufacturers in the international ECT market; however, these manufacturers do not provide a viable alternative capable of meeting the contracting authority's technical requirements. The assessment has considered the availability of comparable equipment, UK supply arrangements and the technical suitability of alternative systems.

On this basis, and subject to the supporting technical assessment demonstrating that no reasonable alternative exists, the contracting authority considers that the conditions for a direct award under section 41(1)(a) and Schedule 5, paragraph 6(a) and (b) of the Procurement Act 2023 are met.