--- title: "Market Engagement for the Provision of STRS Patient Transport Services" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-069666" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-069666" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-069666.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-069666.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "GUY'S AND ST THOMAS' NHS FOUNDATION TRUST" published: "2026-05-12" --- # Market Engagement for the Provision of STRS Patient Transport Services Buyer: GUY'S AND ST THOMAS' NHS FOUNDATION TRUST Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-069666 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-069666) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-069666.json) ## Summary Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust is in the planning stage of procuring a specialised 24/7 patient transport service for the South Thames Retrieval Service (STRS), a critical care retrieval service for paediatric patients. This procurement process is focused on the health services industry, specifically ambulance services, and involves the provision of specialist ambulances and related operational support. The contract is expected to commence on 1 November 2026 with the formal tender process set to launch in June 2026, followed by the contract award in September 2026 and a mobilisation period in October 2026. The project is based in London, within the UKI44 region, and aligns with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. This procurement represents a significant opportunity for businesses capable of providing high-quality, reliable ambulance services, especially those with experience in paediatric critical care transport. Ideal candidates would be those registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and possess a strong understanding of operating within a clinical healthcare environment. The tender offers growth opportunities for companies that can supply specialised vehicles, maintain operational readiness, and meet time-critical service demands, with an emphasis on rapid mobilisation and resilience. The pre-market engagement exercise invites suppliers to provide insights on market capacity and supply chain logistics, contributing valuable input towards refining the procurement strategy. ## Notice The South Thames Retrieval Service (STRS) provides specialist paediatric critical care retrieval and transfer services for critically ill children across a network of hospitals. Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust is preparing to procure a dedicated 24/7 patient transport service, including specialist ambulances and Ambulance Technicians, to support the safe and timely transfer of patients to specialist paediatric intensive care units (PICUs). With this Prior Information Notice (PIN), the Authority wishes to inform the market of this upcoming opportunity and undertake a Pre-Market Engagement (PME) exercise to better understand supplier capability, market capacity, mobilisation considerations, and potential delivery models ahead of any formal procurement process. ### Lot Information Lot 1 Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust ("the Authority") is undertaking a Pre-Market Engagement (PME) exercise in relation to the future procurement of Patient Transport Services for the South Thames Retrieval Service (STRS). STRS is a specialist paediatric critical care retrieval service based at Evelina London Children's Hospital. The service provides emergency and urgent retrieval and transfer of critically ill children between referring hospitals and specialist paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) across a regional network. The Authority is seeking to procure a dedicated specialist patient transport service operating on a 24/7 basis. The proposed service is expected to support the rapid deployment and transfer of specialist clinical retrieval teams and critically ill paediatric patients. The anticipated scope of services includes, but is not limited to: Provision of specialist ambulances suitable for paediatric critical care transport; Provision and maintenance of associated ambulance equipment; Provision of Ambulance Technicians and operational support staff; Vehicle maintenance, servicing, cleaning, and compliance management; Support for rapid mobilisation and time-critical patient transfers; Provision of contingency and resilience arrangements; and Participation in contract governance and performance management arrangements. The Authority anticipates that the service model will operate on the basis that: The Supplier provides ambulances, associated equipment, and Ambulance Technicians; and The Authority provides the clinical retrieval team (e.g. doctors and nurses). The service is expected to include: Two (2) dedicated ambulances available on site at all times; One (1) backup vehicle available 24/7; and Access to a resilience vehicle for contingency scenarios. The future provider is anticipated to: Be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC); Have a certified CQC Registered Manager in place; Operate within a clinical healthcare environment; and Demonstrate the ability to deliver a highly reliable, time-critical service. As part of this PME exercise, interested suppliers will be invited to: Review the PME briefing document, draft Specification, and PME questionnaire; Submit written feedback to the Authority; Participate in supplier engagement discussions and/or one-to-one sessions (where applicable); and Raise clarification questions during the PME period. The PME documentation can be accessed via the Atamis procurement portal. Suppliers who experience difficulties accessing the portal, or who wish to request the PME documentation directly, may contact: cread@ecovategroup.com The Authority intends to undertake a competitive procurement process in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 ("PSR 2023"). However, the final procurement approach may be refined following completion of the PME exercise. The indicative timeline currently anticipates: Launch of formal tender process: June 2026; Contract award: September 2026; Mobilisation period: October 2026; and Contract commencement: 1 November 2026. The Authority is particularly interested in obtaining market feedback regarding: Vehicle availability and lead times; Mobilisation requirements and timelines; Workforce availability and operational models; Interim or phased delivery solutions; and Commercial considerations and key market constraints. Participation in this PME exercise is not part of a formal procurement process, and responses will not be evaluated or scored. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/043332-2026 | | Notice type | Planning Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 12 May 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 20 Sep 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planned | | Lots status | Planned | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | GUY'S AND ST THOMAS' NHS FOUNDATION TRUST | | Locality | LONDON | | Post town | South East London | | Postcode | SE1 9RT | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLI London | | ITL 2 | TLI4 Inner London - East | | ITL 3 | TLI44 Lewisham and Southwark | | Local authority | Southwark | | Electoral ward | London Bridge & West Bermondsey | | Westminster constituency | Bermondsey and Old Southwark | | Delivery location | TLI44 Lewisham and Southwark | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 85100000 - Health services - 85143000 - Ambulance services ## Release History - 12 May 2026 at 08:58 - Planning - Planning Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/043332-2026 ## Notice URLs - https://atamis-1928.my.site.com/s/Welcome - https://www.lpp.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-069666. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-069666.json.