---
title: "Controlled Drugs Management System including Electronic Controlled Drugs Register"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06e5c0"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e5c0"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e5c0.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e5c0.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "NORTH WEST AMBULANCE SERVICE NHS TRUST"
published: "2026-08-17"
---

# Controlled Drugs Management System including Electronic Controlled Drugs Register

Buyer: NORTH WEST AMBULANCE SERVICE NHS TRUST  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06e5c0

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## Summary

North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust is preparing to procure a controlled drugs management system, including an electronic controlled drugs register (eCDR). The system is intended to support the management of controlled drugs and allow front-line paramedics to place internal orders for controlled drugs into the Medicines Supply Hub. This is a medical software package and is categorised as goods. Delivery will cover the North West of England. The work is for an NHS ambulance service, so relevant suppliers are likely to provide software that can support medicines governance, controlled-drug records, operational ambulance environments and ordering workflows linking clinical staff with a medicines supply function. The procurement is being developed by the Trust, based in Bolton.

The procurement is at the planning stage and is not yet a call for competition or invitation to tender. The Trust expects a single-lot contract, with an intended contract period from 1 October 2027 to 30 September 2030 and an option to renew or extend it to 30 September 2032. The Trust is conducting preliminary market engagement to test the feasibility of its requirements, understand delivery models, refine its procurement strategy, cost estimates and timelines, and develop the full specification. Suppliers are expected to complete a pre-market engagement questionnaire by 12:00 on 11 September 2026. The Trust may invite up to three suppliers to demonstrate their solutions to the project team. The procurement is above the relevant threshold.

This early engagement will suit suppliers that already deliver medical or medicines-management software and can shape a solution for controlled drugs in an ambulance service. Useful capabilities include an electronic controlled drugs register, secure audit trails, stock and records management, controlled-drug governance, user permissions, reporting and ordering functionality. Suppliers should be able to demonstrate how front-line paramedics would order controlled drugs internally and how those orders would flow into the Medicines Supply Hub. Experience of integrating clinical, medicines-supply or inventory systems, supporting distributed operational teams and implementing software in NHS or other regulated healthcare settings would be relevant. The Trust is seeking practical evidence on feasibility, delivery models, requirements and solution demonstrations, so suppliers should prepare a clear operating model and demonstration of these capabilities before the future procurement reaches the market.

## Notice

North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust ("the Trust") is preparing to undertake a procurement exercise for a controlled drugs management system including an Electronic Controlled Drugs Register (eCDR) and capability of internal ordering of Controlled Drugs (CDs) by front line paramedics into the Medicines Supply Hub (MSH).

### Planning Information

Before initiating any procurement, the Trust intends to engage with the market to discuss a range of key topics, including those criteria considered critical to the success of any future procurement.
The Trust is conducting preliminary market engagement to: 
• Test the feasibility of requirements 
• Understand delivery models 
• Refine our procurement strategy
• Refine cost estimates and timelines
• Develop our full specification 
This is not a call for competition and does not form part of any formal procurement process.
Suppliers are invited to complete a pre market engagement questionnaire due for submission by Friday 11th September 2026 at 12:00.
Suppliers will be further invited to demonstrate their solutions to the project team, a maximum of 3 may be invited to present.
Any suppliers who wish you express an interest in this pre market engagement process should email: strategicprocurement@nwas.nhs.uk

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078179-2026 |
| Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| 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 | 17 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 11 Sep 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 1 Oct 2027 - 30 Sep 2030 |
| 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 | Planning |
| Lots status | Planning |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NORTH WEST AMBULANCE SERVICE NHS TRUST |
| Locality | BOLTON |
| Postcode area | Bolton |
| Postcode | BL1 5DD |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLD North West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLD3 Greater Manchester |
| ITL 3 | TLD36 Greater Manchester North West |
| Local authority | Bolton |
| Electoral ward | Heaton, Lostock & Chew Moor |
| Westminster constituency | Bolton West |
| Delivery location | TLD North West (England) |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 48 - Software package and information systems

### Codes

- 48180000 - Medical software package

## Release History

- 17 Aug 2026 at 14:57 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078179-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078179-2026
  17th August 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.nwas.nhs.uk
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-06e5c0. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e5c0.json.