Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services - North East Essex

Concepts

• health services
• colchester
• north east essex integrated care board
• high service transfer costs
• north east essex
• non-emergency patient transport services
• non-emergency patient transport services - north east essex
• patients
• the north east essex alliance footprints
• patient flow

Location

Provision is to cover the North East Essex Alliance locality

Description

Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) provision within the North East Essex Alliance footprints. The service is to be provided to all eligible patients, as per NHS E's eligibility criteria.

Total Quantity or Scope

NEPTS comprises the movement of patients whose condition is not considered an 'emergency' and who can, therefore, travel in an ambulance vehicle specified to a lower level of medical provision, or, indeed, a car. NEPTS are typified by the non-urgent, planned, transportation of patients with a medical need for transport to and from a premises providing NHS healthcare and between NHS healthcare providers. NEPTS are a key enabler underpinning access to elective care and supporting timely and efficient discharge processes for acute and community providers. Continuity of provision is important for the system to maintain patient flow and stability. The length of the contract is two years as this allows the necessary time to complete a complex procurement and allow one year for mobilisation, as requested by providers. This also ensures stability of provision whilst procuring and prevents additional interim running costs, and the potential for high service transfer costs for a short contract period. NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board are awarding the contract named within this notice due to an urgent circumstance which is outlined within the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 85100000 - Health services

Indicators

• Award on basis of price.

Legal Justification

The recent NEPTS procurement was abandoned following challenge. This did not leave the ICB with enough time to complete a full procurement for the new service and allow sufficient time for mobilisation before the existing contract expired. Due to the need to maintain stability, continuity and prevent unnecessary costs the ICB have awarded this contract to the incumbent provider. To enable the procurement of a new NEPTS service the contract length needs to be long enough to allow time to procure and mobilise; and prevent disproportionate additional costs of transferring / competing a short-term contract. The incumbent provider has been awarded a two-year contract, commencing on 1 April 2024, ending on 31 March 2026 with no option of extension.

Other 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 is being made urgently and the reason for the urgency was not foreseen by the ICB for the reasons outlined within this notice. This award is being made in order to prevent risk to patient and public safety, and the ICB is not able to satisfy the requirements of regulations 6 - 13 for the reasons outlined below. The decision to award the contract was made by the ICB Board in November 2023, having the support of the Executive Committee and Audit Committee prior to Board decision. No conflicts of interest, or potential conflicts of interest, were declared by any decision makers.