Award

RENEWAL OF A MEDICAL PRIORITY DISPTACH SYSTEM

WELSH AMBULANCE SERVICES NHS TRUST

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

04 Mar 2026 at 15:38

Award

04 Mar 2026 at 10:33

Summary of the contracting process

The Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust is conducting a procurement process for the renewal of its Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS), a crucial tool for 999 emergency call prioritisation. The procurement falls under the health sector's industry category and encompasses IT services, software development, and support, as well as software package and information systems. Located in Cwmbran, Wales, the procurement process is at the award stage as of 4th March 2026. The contract involves the direct award method due to technical reasons, with a standstill period ending on 13th March 2026 and the contract commencement on 1st April 2026, running until 31st March 2030. Priority Dispatch Corp - UK Limited, based in Bristol, is named as the supplier for this award valued at over £643,130.28.

This tender provides substantial growth opportunities for businesses specialising in software and IT services, particularly those experienced in deploying medical dispatch systems. SMEs with expertise in health sector software solutions can leverage this opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities by offering services that enhance emergency medical response systems. Additionally, it serves as a valuable venture for companies looking to expand their footprint in public sector contracts within the UK. Being a direct award due to the existing embedded system and the complex nature of transitioning to a new solution, organisations with similar specialised products may find entry challenging, yet it underscores the demand for unique, clinically validated solutions that maintain safety and efficiency standards. Businesses can strategically position themselves to meet such requirements and showcase innovations aligned with medical dispatch priorities.

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Notice Title

RENEWAL OF A MEDICAL PRIORITY DISPTACH SYSTEM

Notice Description

The Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) is required to enable emergency medical dispatchers to prioritise 999 calls and determine the most appropriate response to medical emergencies.

Procurement Information

The Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) is embedded within the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust (the 'Trust') 999 service and any change to the existing system would involve significant operational, financial, and strategic challenges. The MPDS is fundamental to the Emergency Medical Service provided by the Trust, and enables the safe, efficient, and clinically appropriate prioritisation of 999 calls. Replacing the MPDS would be a complex undertaking and at present no other viable alternatives are commercially available. Another factor is that 999 call-handlers are trained and certified through the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) to use MPDS. Transitioning to a new system would require the retraining off all 999 call-handlers within the service, which could disrupt operations and require significant time and resources. MPDS is a clinically validated solution, with robust evidence of safety, accuracy, and effectiveness. Any alternative system would need to meet rigorous clinical governance standards and demonstrate equal or better prioritisation outcomes. Any replacement would need to be piloted, evaluated, and benchmarked against existing performance metrics to ensure either existing standards can be maintained or exceeded. A process which could take a significant period that could entail several years, depending on the level of clinical assurance already achieved, and a process which would also need to be transparent, and data driven. In addition, the MPDS disposition coding structure is integral to the prioritisation of emergency calls received and facilitates interoperability with all other UK ambulance services, crucial for example for cross-border emergency call transfers and overflow support from other services. Furthermore, the MPDS is integrated with other systems used by the Trust for secondary triage and clinical assessment and the MPDS coding is critical for accurate tracking and comparison of outcomes across the Trust's services. Replacing the MPDS would require investment, and a clinically validated strategy that addresses technology, training, governance, and provides clinical assurance. However, there is a lack of commercial solutions available in the marketplace with NHS England for example having developed their own in-house solution and NHS Scotland using MPDS also. Accordingly, there is currently no other readily available commercial solution to enable the prioritisation of 999 emergency calls.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0661c8
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/019616-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

30 - Office and computing machinery, equipment and supplies except furniture and software packages

48 - Software package and information systems

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support


CPV Codes

30000000 - Office and computing machinery, equipment and supplies except furniture and software packages

48000000 - Software package and information systems

72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£643,130 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
4 Mar 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
4 Mar 20261 weeks ago
Contract Period
31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2030 4-5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
WELSH AMBULANCE SERVICES NHS TRUST
Additional Buyers

NHS WALES SHARED SERVICES PARTNERSHIP (HOSTED BY VELINDRE UNIVERSITY NHS TRUST)

Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
CWMBRAN
Postcode
NP44 3AB
Post Town
Newport
Country
Wales

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLL Wales
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLL5 South East Wales
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLL51 Central Valleys and Bridgend
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Rhondda Cynon Taf
Electoral Ward
Taff's Well
Westminster Constituency
Cardiff North

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

PRIORITY DISPATCH

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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