Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board
Stafford Education & Enterprise Park, Weston Road,
Stafford
ST18 0BF
Contact
Emma Hardman
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKG23 - Stoke-on-Trent
Justification for not providing organisation identifier
Not on any register
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://staffsstoke.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
Ambulance Offload Officer Service
Reference number
CMT-1337
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85143000 - Ambulance services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Ambulance Offload Officer Service - Royal Stoke University Hospital Provision 24/7 to be provided to support improve Ambulance Capacity availability, support system working relationships and be the key link for WMAS and University Hospital of North Midlands regarding ambulance handover performance.
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: £364,779
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKG23 - Stoke-on-Trent
Main site or place of performance
Royal Stoke Hospital
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The AOO role requirement is a clinical role, that will support patient experience, reduce potential patient harms that occur from handover delays, and also support key system relationships, including administrative functions to support timely flow when an ambulance arrives at the acute. The need at Royal Stoke hospital is due to the level of demand of conveyances in comparison to the other two acutes in our system and will have an interoperability with the system to support achieve NHSE 25/26 operational guidance that requires systems to have no handovers greater than 45 minutes. Royal Stoke Hospital is an outlier nationally for handover delays, and this role will be a key element in supporting reduce current performance. There is a need to expand this role to operate at Royal Stoke with an element of this role already within the wider 999 contract.
This notice is confirmation of an award having been made due to an urgent circumstance. The current model that is in place has demonstrated an alternative provider does not support the key objectives of the role. This additionality has been explored to be added to the core contract and cannot be added at this time. There is a need to support reduce handover delays and the system requirement is to manage this element more locally than the wider 999 contract and the performance at this acute trust in regard to handover delays. This role will also support mitigate the concerns raised by the Ambulance service regarding Handover delays at Royal Stoke. This is currently being facilitated by UHNM via agency and internal staffing due to the growing need for the role due to operational pressures, however, the HALO role is specific for Ambulance services to provide as part of their core contract and due to the nature of the role can only be operated by the relevant ambulance. The role will require elements of patient care at times of need and operational pressures, therefore there is a requirement to be a WMAS registered paramedic.
- The lifetime value of the contract is £ 364,779.
- The Contract was awarded 1st June 2025 and ends 31st March 2026
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: to address immediate risks to safety and quality of care / Weighting: 100
Price - Weighting: 364779
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: 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
- Extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable for the contracting authority
Explanation:
This award was made under an urgent circumstance, regulation 14 was applied as delaying the award of the contract would likely pose a risk to patient or public safety; The role requirement is a clinical role, that will support patient experience, reduce potential patient harms that occurs from handover delays, and also support key system relationships, including administrative functions to support timely flow when an ambulance arrives at the acute
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
Contract No
CMT-1337
Title
Ambulance Offload Officer
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
1 June 2025
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 Ambulance Service (WMAS)
Millennium Point, Waterfront Business Park
Brierley Hill, West Midlands
DY5 1LX
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKG23 - Stoke-on-Trent
Justification for not providing organisation identifier
Not on any register
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: £364,779
Total value of the contract/lot: £364,779
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
'This contract has been awarded under the urgent circumstances provision of the Provider Selection Regime (PSR). This contract has been awarded under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award.'
This award was made under an urgent circumstance, regulation 14 was applied as delaying the award of the contract would likely pose a risk to patient or public safety; The role requirement is a clinical role, that will support patient experience, reduce potential patient harms that occurs from handover delays, and also support key system relationships, including administrative functions to support timely flow when an ambulance arrives at the acute.
Decision Makers: Procurement Operational Group - 15th May 2025 and Finance and Performance committee - 3rd June 2025. No Conflicts of interest were identified among the group or committee.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB
Stafford
ST18 0BF
Country
United Kingdom