---
title: "Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS)"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-03be73"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03be73"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03be73.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03be73.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NHS LANCASHIRE AND SOUTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD"
published: "2023-08-31"
---

# Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS)

Buyer: NHS LANCASHIRE AND SOUTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-03be73

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## Summary

The NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit (CSU) on behalf of NHS Lancashire & South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), NHS Greater Manchester ICB, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB, and NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB have awarded contracts for Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) covering Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and Cumbria. The contracts are with the existing provider, North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust, for a period extending from 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024. This award aims to ensure continuity of service until a new service can be commissioned, meeting local and national requirements.

This tender for Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services presents a direct opportunity for businesses providing transport services to bid for contracts in designated regions. Businesses offering planned patient transport, unplanned patient transport, and enhanced priority service transport are well-suited to compete. By engaging with the buying organisations, such as NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, businesses can access information on procurement stages, timelines, and specific requirements, enhancing their chances of securing contracts and contributing to the healthcare transportation sector.

## Notice

NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit (CSU) are publishing this contract award notice on behalf of NHS Lancashire & South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), NHS Greater Manchester ICB, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB and NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB who have awarded contracts for the provision of Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) to cover Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cumbria delivering: - Planned Patient Transport - for routine outpatient appointments - Unplanned Patient Transport - for discharges / short notice bookings, and - Enhanced Priority Service Transport - for time critical transport for patients attending for haemodialysis or oncology treatments. This contract award notice is for the direct award of contracts with the existing providers, 24 months from 1st April 2023 to the 31st March 2025. This is a modification to the VEAT notice reference 2023/S 000-010668 as the contract length now covers 2 years to 31st March 2025. The current NEPTS contracts were originally procured by competitive tender. There was then a delay in the recommissioning of these services due to the COVID-19 pandemic however work is now underway to develop a North West strategic approach to patient transport being commissioned by the newly formed ICBs that will meet both local and national requirements. To allow the timescales to complete this work and re-procure the service an extension of 24 months is required with the existing providers. A review of the North West specifications is required to ensure it meets the evolving needs of the ICBs. In addition the National Review of NEPTS produced its final report on patient eligibility criteria in May 2022. This has broadened the criteria under which patients are able to access NHS funded transport and has required additional work on the specifications. The National Review has produced, and continues to produce, additional guidance to be adopted which will impact the North West specifications. The rationale for the 24-month extension with the existing provider is that it will maintain the continuity of service until such time as a new service can be commissioned that will meet local requirements and incorporate any new national requirements. The extension is only a temporary arrangement to allow the appropriate timescales to re-procure the service (which have previously been delayed due to the pandemic and therefore events that were unforeseeable to the commissioners).

### Lot Information

Non Emergency Patient Transport Services - Lancashire and South Cumbria

Extension of the existing contract for a further 24 months until 31 March 2025.

Non Emergency Patient Transport Services - North East & North Cumbria ICB

Extension of the existing contract for a further 24 months until 31 March 2025.

Non Emergency Patient Transport Services - Cheshire and Merseyside ICB

Extension of the existing contract for a further 24 months until 31 March 2025.

Non Emergency Patient Transport Services - Greater Manchester ICB

Extension of the existing contract for a further 24 months until 31 March 2025.

### Procurement Information

There was an initial delay in the recommissioning of these services due to the COVID-19 pandemic which was an event unforeseeable by the contracting authority. In addition the existing provider is considered to be the only provider that can offer a continuity of service to patients over the next 24 months, without creating a significant operational risk and disruption to service whilst allowing the timescales for the new service to be planned and implemented safely. This contract is being awarded under Regulation 32 (2)(b)(ii).

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/025660-2023 |
| 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 |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 31 Aug 2023 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 1 Feb 2023 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £144,047,221 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NHS LANCASHIRE AND SOUTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD |
| Additional buyers | NHS CHESHIRE & MERSEYSIDE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD; NHS GREATER MANCHESTER INTEGRATED CARE BOARD; NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE PARTNERSHIP |
| Locality | LEYLAND |
| Post town | Preston |
| Postcode | N/A |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear |
| ITL 3 | TLC43 Tyneside |
| Local authority | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Electoral ward | Lemington |
| Westminster constituency | Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West |
| Delivery location | TLD North West (England), TLD1 Cumbria, TLD3 Greater Manchester, TLD4 Lancashire, TLD6 Cheshire, TLD7 Merseyside |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | NORTH WEST AMBULANCE SERVICE NHS TRUST |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

### Codes

- 60000000 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

## Release History

- 31 Aug 2023 at 14:53 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/025660-2023
- 13 Apr 2023 at 13:39 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/010668-2023

## Notice URLs

- https://gmintegratedcare.org.uk/
- https://www.cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk/
- https://www.lancashireandsouthcumbria.icb.nhs.uk/
- https://www.midlandsandlancashirecsu.nhs.uk/
- https://www.nenc-northcumbria.icb.nhs.uk/
- https://www.nwas.nhs.uk/

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03be73. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03be73.json.