All Wales Remote Laundry Support

NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP) Laundry Services has undertaken a procurement review in relation to the ongoing provision of specialist remote technical support across the NHS Wales laundry estate. The requirement covers comprehensive remote engineering support services, including PLC diagnostic capability, system-level fault finding, software rebuilds and configuration support, remote access and connectivity management, and provision of 4G connectivity with a minimum 100GB monthly data allowance per site.

This support underpins the safe and continuous operation of all NHS Wales Shared Services laundry facilities. Each site relies on complex, PLC-controlled production environments that manage sorting equipment, monorail systems, Continuous Batch Washers (CBWs), dryer systems, and associated plant infrastructure.

Reliable remote access to these systems is critical to maintaining operational resilience and minimising downtime that could impact NHS service delivery. In recent years, significant capital investment programmes have modernised and automated production processes across the laundry estate.

As part of these programmes, PLC-based control systems were designed, programmed, installed, and commissioned exclusively by Dee Scan Controls Ltd. These systems form the backbone of site operations and are fully integrated into core production workflows. Dee Scan Controls Ltd retains exclusive access to the proprietary PLC control logic, programming files, software libraries, system integrations and architecture, configuration tools, secure access credentials, and historical backups and version-controlled software environments.

The remote access PCs installed at each site operate via TeamViewer and host the required PLC programming platforms (such as Mitsubishi GX Works), with controlled software versions and master backups maintained on Dee Scan's secure servers. All PLC-based systems across the NHS Wales laundry estate are therefore dependent on Dee Scan's proprietary configurations and technical architecture.

No third-party provider has the ability to safely interrogate, amend, or restore these systems without access to the original source code, firmware structures, and protected programming environments. Engaging an alternative supplier would present significant operational and technical risks, including the inability to access proprietary PLC logic or firmware, potential corruption or invalidation of live operational programs, extended system downtime affecting NHS service continuity, and, in the worst case, the requirement for full system replacement.

Such risks would be disproportionate and could materially impact essential healthcare support services. Following a structured review of the technical landscape and market capability, NWSSP has concluded that no reasonable alternative supplier exists who can deliver the required remote diagnostic and support services safely and effectively.

Accordingly, NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership intends to proceed with a direct award to Dee Scan Controls Ltd under Section 41 - Direct Award in Special Cases, where a qualifying justification under Schedule 5 applies. The relevant Schedule 5 justification is "Only One Supplier is Capable (Exclusive Technical Rights)."