Procurement of a National Air Ambulance Service for The Scottish Ambulance Service

The Scottish Ambulance Service ("the Service") provides a national air ambulance service to all of Scotland and its islands. This is the only wholly publicly funded air ambulance service in the United Kingdom and provides an invaluable resource to the public of Scotland.

Scotland presents a challenging environment for air ambulance operators. Factors to be considered include:

• Varied terrain.
• Potentially severe weather conditions.
• Longer hours of darkness in winter.
• Limited and varying airport capabilities and hours of operation.
• Future island transport provisions including ferries and airport developments or changes.
• Recognition of the Government targets on sustainability and carbon neutral.
• National planning of specialist services for example thrombectomy and major trauma.

The aims of the procurement are to deliver an innovative, sustainable, resilient and value for money air ambulance service that can respond to changes in service delivery requirements whilst maintaining a high quality care and experience for the patients and public of Scotland.

The current scope of requirements of the contract are:

1.The aircraft fleet must be capable of reaching at least 95% of the population of Scotland in one hour. The rotary aircraft must have 24/7 Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) capability and all aircraft must act as a suitable transport platform for the personnel and equipment associated with our adult, paediatric and neonatal critical care transport and retrieval teams (ScotSTAR).

2. Provision of aircraft hangarage in order to ensure 24/7 availability of aircraft during inclement weather.
3. Provision of maintenance & backup. All planned and reactive maintenance must be carried out in Scotland. Backup aircraft to be provided to the same specification as core aircraft.
4. Provision of 24/7 engineering support.
5. Provision of adequate base facilities for clinical staff. e.g., provision of Ops Room space, lockers and parking facilities etc., In addition, meeting room/training room and overnight accommodation (where necessary) for on-call clinical staff.
6. Provision of air crew member training (e.g., Technical Crew Member training for HEMS).

7.Provision of compliant radio communications system. The aircraft must be capable of compliance with the current Airwave communications system (if this is still in operation at contract commencement), and also compliance with the future Emergency Services Network (ESN) system

8. Provision of on-going monitoring of service provision by way of regular contract monitoring meetings.

The Service will provide the clinical staffing. The aircraft, flight crew (pilots), estate & facilities and engineering support will be provided by the successful contractor(s) on a managed service basis.

The successful contractor(s) shall support a variety of air ambulance missions; ranging from hospital discharges through to pre-hospital helicopter emergency calls and critical care transfers.

The chosen route to market for this procurement is the “Competitive Dialogue Procedure".

It is expected that the contract will be awarded in late May / early June 2023. The contract commencement date is subject to final confirmation, however it should be no later than early June 2025. The contract length shall be seven years, with an optional three-year extension.

The procurement will be for the award of a single contract which will cover both fixed wing and rotary aircraft. Bids shall be welcomed from a single or group of economic operators (a consortium). Consortia are not required to have a particular legal form to submit a bid. Consortia will, however, be required to assume a specific legal form if they are awarded the contract. This will be the form of a lead contractor and subcontractor(s): with one member of the consortium taking the role of prime/lead contractor, or a joint venture. The Service shall require certain formal documentation and / or guarantees depending on bidders proposed consortia form.