PROCUREMENT
Maintaining a clear boundary between baseline requirements and value-added differentiators prevents the common pitfall
where points are awarded for what should be mandatory and ensures competition centres on genuine innovation
For laboratories, contributing operational data and helping define realistic implementation assumptions can dramatically improve the credibility of a supplier’s value case. For buyers, separating the ‘evidence base’ (what has been observed) from ‘assumptions’ (what is expected locally) is essential to fair scoring.
Separating specification from value Maintaining a clear boundary between baseline requirements and value-added differentiators protects the integrity of VBP. In practice, this means placing the following into the specification (pass/ fail): regulatory conformity, minimum analytical performance, cybersecurity, interoperability standards, safety, and essential service levels. Value scoring should then focus on
features that change outcomes or total cost of care beyond the baseline. Examples include demonstrable reductions in time-to-result within the clinical decision
window; digital decision-support that reduces error or unwarranted variation; proven pathway changes that release capacity; and sustainability innovations that lower lifetime carbon and disposal costs without compromising performance. This approach prevents the common
pitfall where points are awarded for what should be mandatory and ensures competition centres on genuine innovation.
Designing pragmatic outcome measures Perfect atribution is not required to run VBP. Instead, pragmatic, observable measures that laboratories and clinical teams can influence together should be realised. Useful measures include: the proportion of results delivered within a clinically meaningful turnaround target; reduction in repeat testing; time from sample receipt to clinical decision; percentage of patients correctly triaged at first contact; reduction in empiric
antibiotic use when a rapid aetiological test is deployed; or theatre cancellations avoided following faster pre-operative screening. To link these measures to contractual
commitments, tiered incentives should be considered rather than hard guarantees. For example, a supplier may commit to training, integration support and uptime that enable the agreed turnaround targets. If the targets are met and clinical protocols are followed, bonus payments or price adjustments could apply. This acknowledges the shared nature of diagnostic value while still aligning commercial terms with outcomes.
Building capability: roles for laboratories, buyers and suppliers Value-based procurement cannot be delivered by procurement alone. Laboratories play a central role in articulating operational constraints, validating workflow improvements and monitoring real-world performance. Clinicians define decision thresholds and protocol changes that convert information into action. Procurement and finance ensure that contracts and governance reflect cross-pathway benefits. Suppliers contribute technical expertise, training, and data analysis. A practical capability roadmap
includes: short workshops that demystify VBP for clinical scientists and managers shared template for value cases that flags mandatory evidence versus assumptions simple dashboards that track a handful of outcome metrics
May 2026
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