Non‑Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) under the NHS SBS Framework Agreement SBS 105013

Location

Chester

Description

Provision of Non‑Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) for the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, including stretcher and bariatric patient transport services. The services cover the coordination, booking, scheduling and delivery of patient transport to support outpatient appointments, admissions and discharges, and are delivered under the NHS SBS Framework Agreement SBS10513 - Transportation and Travel Services for Health.

Total Quantity or Scope

The procurement relates to the provision of Non‑Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) for the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The services include the planning, coordination, booking, scheduling and delivery of non‑emergency patient transport to support outpatient appointments, admissions and discharges, including stretcher and bariatric patient transport. The services are intended to ensure safe, timely and dignified transport for eligible patients, support patient flow and discharge processes, and operate in accordance with NHS standards and applicable service level requirements. This notice is an intention to award a contract following a competitive process under an existing framework agreement, namely the NHS SBS Framework Agreement SBS10513 - Transportation and Travel Services for Health. The approximate maximum lifetime value of the contract is £1.56 million, based on an initial contract term of two (2) years with the option to extend for up to a further two (2) one‑year periods. This procurement relates to an existing service, with continuity of service required from contract commencement. The contract is intended to be awarded following completion of a competitive process under the relevant framework agreement. The services are intended to be provided from 1 June 2026, for an initial period of two (2) years, with the option to extend annually for up to a maximum total contract duration of four (4) years, subject to contractual provisions.

Award Detail

Renewal Options

The contracting authority reserves the right to extend the contract beyond the initial term, in accordance with the terms of the framework agreement and the call‑off contract. The initial contract term is for two (2) years, with the option to extend for up to a further two (2) one‑year periods, at the discretion of the contracting authority, subject to satisfactory performance and ongoing requirements.

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 85143000 - Ambulance services

Indicators

• Options are available.
• Award on basis of price and quality.

Legal Justification

This procurement is conducted in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 and is therefore not subject to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The contract is awarded following a competitive process under an existing framework agreement, namely the NHS SBS Framework Agreement SBS10513 - Transportation and Travel Services for Health, which was itself established following a prior call for competition. In accordance with the framework agreement and the Provider Selection Regime, no separate call for competition was required.

Other Information

This contract is intended to be awarded following a competitive process under an existing framework agreement, namely the NHS SBS Framework Agreement SBS10513 - Transportation and Travel Services for Health. The contract award is subject to the completion of the mandatory standstill period in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, and no contract will be concluded until that period has ended. This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to 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. The standstill period begins on the day after the publication of this notice. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by midnight on Thursday 28th May 2026. Representations can only be made by providers party to the framework agreement. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR. Written representations should be sent to: simon.corbett3@nhs.net Award decision‑makers The award decision was made by a panel of appropriately authorised officers of the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, including representatives from Procurement and relevant operational and clinical stakeholders, in accordance with the Trust's scheme of delegation and governance arrangements. Conflicts of interest Conflicts of interest identified among the evaluation panel and decision‑makers: None declared. All individuals involved in the evaluation and award decision were required to declare any actual or potential conflicts of interest prior to participation. Award criteria and rationale The contract was evaluated using the Most Advantageous Tender approach, based on the relative importance of the following published criteria: Quality - 40% Social Value - 10% Cost - 50% The relative importance of the criteria reflects the need to balance service quality, patient safety, operational resilience and social value outcomes with value for money, in line with the nature and risk profile of Non‑Emergency Patient Transport Services. The successful provider was selected as it achieved the highest overall weighted score across the published criteria. While price formed a significant element of the evaluation, the award decision was based on the combined assessment of quality, social value and cost, in accordance with the stated evaluation methodology.