Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS Cheshire & Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB)
No 1 Lakeside, 920 Centre Park
Warrington
WA1 1QY
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKD6 - Cheshire
Justification for not providing organisation identifier
Not on any register
Internet address(es)
Main address
www.cheshireandmerseyside.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
Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS)
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 60000000 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit (CSU) are publishing this contract award notice on behalf of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board which has awarded a contract for the provision of Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) to cover Cheshire, Warrington and Wirral.
This contract award notice is for the direct award of contracts with the existing providers, 12 months from 1st April 2024 to the 31st March 2025.
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: £11,300,000
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKD6 - Cheshire
Main site or place of performance
Cheshire, Warrington and Wirral
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit (CSU) are publishing this contract award notice on behalf of NHS Cheshire & Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) which has awarded a contract for the provision of Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) to cover Cheshire, Warrington and Wirral, delivering:
- Planned Patient Transport - for routine outpatient appointments
- Unplanned Patient Transport - for discharges / short notice bookings, and
- Enhanced Priority Service Transport - for time critical transport for patients attending for haemodialysis or oncology treatments.
This contract award notice is for the direct award of contracts with the existing providers, 12 months from 1st April 2024 to the 31st March 2025.
The current NEPTS contracts were originally procured by competitive tender. There was then a delay in the recommissioning of these services due to the COVID-19 pandemic however work is now underway to develop a North West strategic approach to patient transport being commissioned by the newly formed ICBs that will meet both local and national requirements. To allow the timescales to complete this work and re-procure the service an extension of 12 months is required with the existing providers.
A review of the North West specifications is required to ensure it meets the evolving needs of the ICBs. In addition the National Review of NEPTS produced its final report on patient eligibility criteria in May 2022. This has broadened the criteria under which patients are able to access NHS funded transport and has required additional work on the specifications. The National Review has produced, and continues to produce, additional guidance to be adopted which will impact the North West specifications.
The rationale for the 12-month extension with the existing provider is that it will maintain the continuity of service until such time as a new service can be commissioned that will meet local requirements and incorporate any new national requirements. The extension is only a temporary arrangement to allow the appropriate timescales to re-procure the service (which have previously been delayed due to the pandemic and therefore events that were unforeseeable to the commissioners).
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.14) Additional information
This Contract Award Notice is published under the Public Contract Regulations 2015. It is for clinical services which are Light Touch Regime services for the purpose of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 as specified in Schedule 3 of the Regulations ('Regulations'). Accordingly, the contracting authority is only bound by those parts of the Regulations detailed in Chapter 3 Particular Procurement Regimes Section 7. The contracting authority is not voluntarily following any other part of the Regulations.
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 services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
- absence of competition for technical reasons
- New works/services, constituting a repetition of existing works/services
Explanation:
There was an initial delay in the recommissioning of these services due to the COVID-19 pandemic which was an event unforeseeable by the contracting authority. In addition the existing provider is considered to be the only provider that can offer a continuity of service to patients over the next 12 months, without creating a significant operational risk and disruption to service whilst allowing the timescales for the new service to be planned and implemented safely.
This contract is being awarded under Regulation 32 (2)(b)(ii).
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
Section five. Award of contract
Title
Non Emergency Patient Transport Services - Cheshire, Warrington and Wirral
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
22 August 2023
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
West Midlands Service University NHS Foundation Trust
Brierley Hill
DY5 1LX
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKG3 - West Midlands
NHS Organisation Data Service
RYA
Internet address
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £11,300,000
Total value of the contract/lot: £11,300,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
This Contract Award Notice is published under the Public Contract Regulations 2015. It is for clinical services which are Light Touch Regime services for the purpose of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 as specified in Schedule 3 of the Regulations ('Regulations'). Accordingly, the contracting authority is only bound by those parts of the Regulations detailed in Chapter 3 Particular Procurement Regimes Section 7. The contracting authority is not voluntarily following any other part of the Regulations.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
NHS Cheshire & Merseyside Integrated Care Board
Warrington
enquiries@cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk
Country
United Kingdom