Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
White Rose House, West Parade
Wakefield
WF1 1LT
Contact
Martin Pursey
wyicb-kirk.procurement@nhs.net
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKE4 - West Yorkshire
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.westyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk/
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Health
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
West Yorkshire Patient Transport Services
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85100000 - Health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The current Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS) is provided by Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (YAS) across West Yorkshire. The current service ends on the 31st March 2024. The service is provided to the following ‘places’ in West Yorkshire: Bradford District & Craven, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield District.
This notice is to advise the intention to directly award a contract to YAS to continue the provision of service with a direct award of an 18-months contract. The extension is to allow the Commissioners to review and remodel the service specification that will complement the delivery and sustainability of the service currently commissioned and in order to clearly articulate future requirements in light of changes to commissioning infrastructure.
This notice completes a process that commenced prior to 1st January 2024 under PCR and NHS Procurement, Patient Choice & Competition Regulations.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £26,000,000
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 34114122 - Patient-transport vehicles
- 85143000 - Ambulance services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKE4 - West Yorkshire
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Non-Emergency Patient transport (NEPTS) journeys are booked for patients, as part of their episode of care, being moved to and from NHS funded treatment at a range of sites across West Yorkshire including acute hospitals and local venues providing community-based care. The service is responsible for safely and effectively transporting eligible patients, as part of their episode of care, between their nominated place of residence, to, from and between NHS-funded healthcare facilities in a timely manner, so that they can receive the health care for which they are scheduled to receive.
This responsibility includes: providing a single point of access and full booking service for patients and HCPs; equitable and consistent application of the eligibility criteria to all patients and carers; signposting patients who are not eligible for PTS to alternative transport arrangements; effective determination of mobility need or needs; allocation of journeys across the sub-contracted transport providers through an equitable, open and transparent process; effective communication and collaboration with system wide stakeholders; coordination and management of all patient journeys; timely reporting to commissioners.
The 18-month contract is to allow the Commissioners to review and remodel the service specification that will complement the delivery of the NEPTS service currently commissioned and in order to clearly articulate future requirements in accordance with NHS England’s national Framework for NEPTS for the future sustainable service in accordance with the national requirements such as net zero targets, integration of services, 24/7 model, and the application of a consistent eligibility criteria.
The additional contractual term will allow for planning a future provider selection process allowing commissioners sufficient time to undertake the relevant engagement with all stakeholders to inform a robust process which will aim to award a new longer term contract whilst ensuring continuity of care for its patient population. The provisional plan is to relaunch in Spring 2025 with the provider selection process and mobilisation resulting in a new service commencing 1st October 2026.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Cost criterion - Name: n/a / Weighting: n/a
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations
Explanation:
The 18-month contract is to allow the Commissioners to review and remodel the service specification that will complement the delivery of the NEPTS service currently commissioned and in order to clearly articulate future requirements in accordance with NHS England’s national Framework for NEPTS for the future sustainable service in accordance with the national requirements such as net zero targets, integration of services, 24/7 model, and the application of a consistent eligibility criteria.
Commissioners are confident that an award of a new contract to a single provider without advertisement is justified and are satisfied that at this point in time the overall contract is capable of being provided only by that provider. The Commissioner’s guiding principles being:
• the requirement to commission services from those providers that are most capable of securing the needs of health care service users and improving the quality and efficiency of services, and that provide the best value for money in doing so.
• the requirement to consider appropriate means of improving NHS health care services.
In the context of the review and remodel of the service specification undertaken and ongoing into what needs to change, the Commissioner has been able to identify with reasonable certainty that it is the incumbent provider that is capable of providing the contract (or that is capable of developing the capacity/infrastructure to do so) and to determine the incumbent provider is most capable of securing the needs of health care service users and of improving services, and represent best value for money for the 18-month contract period required from 1st April 2024.
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
Section five. Award of contract/concession
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
26 February 2024
five.2.2) Information about tenders
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Brindley Way, 41 Business Park
Wakefield
WF2 0XQ
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKE4 - West Yorkshire
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £26,000,000
five.2.5) Information about subcontracting
The contract/lot/concession is likely to be subcontracted
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Royal Courts of Justice
Strand, Holborn
London
WC2A 2LL
Country
United Kingdom
Internet address
courttribunalfinder.service.gov.uk/courts/royal-courts-of-justice