Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS) - Discharges and 'On the Day' Activity

CPV: Ambulance services

Procedure method

Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition

Legal basis

CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)

Procurement category

Services

Notice status

Awarded without competition

Procurement threshold

Unspecified in notice

Regulatory regime

Standard

Commercial structure

Stand-alone contract (no framework)

Competition type

Direct award (no call for competition)

GPA / WTO covered

Unspecified in notice

Recurring procurement

Unspecified in notice

First published

19 Apr 2024, 16:34 BST

Last source update

19 Apr 2024, 16:34 BST

Authority reference

C252350/QVV/8F231/PTS/FL/PSRUA/24

FTS notice number

2024/S 000-012886

Classification (CPV)

Ambulance services

Delivery area

South West (UKK)

Official registry OCID

ocds-h6vhtk-0453ce Find a Tender

Why no open competition

The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive

Published justification

The contract with current incumbent terminates on the 24th April 2024, earlier than anticipated following a request from the current incumbent. NHS Dorset can issue an NHS contract of their choice to a new provider, in terms of value, model and activity.

Under the new Provider Selection Regime there is an option to evoke the urgent award clause in urgent situations when the requirement does not follow one of the provider selection processes in the Provider Selection Regime Regulations 2023, Part 2 Procurement processes.

NHS Dorset intends to evoke - Regulation 14 - Urgent award or modification 14. (1) (2 a b & c) page 12 as the The Suitable Provider process was considered as it has an element of competition to it but following the eight-step process, even with no challenges it would leave a 5-week mobilisation period. This is not felt to be sufficient and would increase the cost of delivering the service.

This provider already delivers a similar service within the system and therefore recent due diligence exists. Due to the circumstances there was no time to carry out a full procurement process and patient transport is a commissioner requested service and the responsibility of the ICB to commission and the system would fail without a service, leading to potential patient harm. Due to having existing service mobilising a smaller similar service alongside was felt to be achievable in the timescale available.

The reasons why regulation 14 applied:

1. The early termination of the current contract by the current incumbent made the contract award urgent in order to maintain continuity of service
2. This early contract termination was not foreseen as the current incumbent only signed the contract in July 2023 and there was no indication at the time of contract signing that the current incumbent would terminate the contract early.
3. A delay in the award of the contract would likely pose a risk to patient safety

4.Timescales imposed on NHS Dorset by the early termination of the current contract mean NHS Dorset would not be able to satisfy the requirements of The Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 regulations 6 to 13

• Health Transportation Group UK LimitedAwarded supplierGB-NHS: ODS 8F231 Lincoln, South West

No document links were published on the notice.