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MRI Backlog Reduction and Diagnostic Capacity Support Service

EAST KENT HOSPITALS UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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26 Oct 2026 at 15:44

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust is buying additional MRI diagnostic services to reduce waiting lists and support recovery of referral-to-treatment performance. The work covers patient booking and appointment management, MRI safety screening and scans, diagnostic reporting, administration, cancellation and missed-appointment management, image transfer and related support. It is intended to serve an initial cohort of about 1,000 clinically vetted patients needing non-contrast MRI, with further activity possible by agreement. Services are based at Whitstable MRI, Estuary View, in Whitstable, Kent, for patients of the Trust across East Kent. This is a healthcare diagnostics service combining scanning capacity with the operational support needed to manage patients through the imaging pathway.

The Trust selected AM Diagnostic Imaging Ltd, trading as AM Diagnostic Services, following a Most Suitable Provider assessment under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The process is recorded as awarded, and a contract is signed. The contract value is £250,000 excluding VAT; the award and signature date is 26 October 2026. The anticipated initial service period runs from award to 31 March 2027, with continuation possible subject to operational requirements, performance, funding and agreement. The Trust used a limited procedure without a prior competition. Assessment was against the statutory key criteria: quality and innovation, value, access and choice, integration and sustainability, and social value. Quality, value, and access-related criteria were rated highly important; integration and social value were medium. The recorded criteria assign 100 to the assessment and 0 to price.

For future comparable work with this Trust, a credible provider would need ready access to local MRI capacity and be able to mobilise quickly, while integrating with existing NHS referral and treatment pathways. The selected service model demonstrates the importance of managing the full patient journey: booking, appointment administration, safety screening, scanning, reporting, image transfer, and handling cancellations and missed appointments. Suppliers should be able to support a defined backlog of clinically vetted non-contrast patients and provide enough operational capacity to help reduce waits and restore treatment performance. Local patient access and continuity of service were central to the Trust’s assessment, alongside quality, value, collaboration and sustainability. Diagnostic reporting may be delivered through a reporting partner, so a dependable partner model can form part of the delivery capability.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

MRI Backlog Reduction and Diagnostic Capacity Support Service

Notice Description

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust intends to award a contract for the provision of additional MRI diagnostic capacity to support waiting list reduction and RTT recovery. The service will be delivered from the provider's Whitstable MRI facility at Estuary View and includes patient booking, MRI scanning, diagnostic reporting, administration and associated support services. The Trust has undertaken the Most Suitable Provider Process under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 and has identified the provider as the most suitable provider having regard to the key criteria. This notice serves as an intention to award a contract under the Most Suitable Provider Process.

Lot Information

Lot 1

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust intends to award a contract under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 using the Most Suitable Provider Process. The contract is for the provision of additional MRI diagnostic imaging capacity to support waiting list reduction and recovery of referral to treatment performance. Services include patient booking, appointment management, MRI safety screening, MRI scanning, diagnostic reporting, management of cancellations and DNAs, image transfer and associated administration services. The service will be delivered by AM Diagnostic Imaging Ltd. trading as AM Diagnostic Services, part of the Affidea Group, from Whitstable MRI at Estuary View, Kent. This is a new backlog reduction arrangement intended to support the transfer of an initial cohort of approximately 1,000 clinically vetted non-contrast MRI patients, together with any subsequent activity agreed by the parties. The approximate lifetime value of the contract is PS250,000 excluding VAT. The initial service period is anticipated to run from contract award until 31 March 2027. This notice constitutes an intention to award a contract under the Most Suitable Provider Process. Additional information: The Trust identified AM Diagnostic Imaging Ltd. trading as AM Diagnostic Services, part of the Affidea Group, as the most suitable provider. The service will be delivered from Whitstable MRI at Estuary View, providing accessible local capacity for East Kent patients. The contracting authority reserves the option to continue the arrangement beyond the initial term subject to operational requirements, performance, funding and agreement between the parties. The provider demonstrated available MRI capacity, the ability to commence mobilisation rapidly, integration with Trust pathways and the capability to support waiting-list reduction objectives. The Trust considered patient accessibility, service continuity, available local capacity, quality and value in reaching its decision. No equivalent local MRI capacity capable of meeting the Trust's requirements within the required mobilisation timescales and patient access requirements was identified.

Procurement Information

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 and Procurement Act 2023 do not apply to this award. The standstill period begins on the day after publication of this notice. Representations by providers must be made to the decision makers by 10 November 2026. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-079071
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/101163-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85150000 - Medical imaging services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£250,000 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
26 Oct 2026Yesterday
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Cancelled
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
EAST KENT HOSPITALS UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION 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
CANTERBURY
Postcode
CT1 3NG
Postcode Area
Canterbury
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ4 Kent
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ44 East Kent
Delivery Location
TLJ44 East Kent
Local Authority
Canterbury
Electoral Ward
Barton
Westminster Constituency
Canterbury

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

AM Diagnostic Imaging Ltd

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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