NHS Herefordshire CCG, NHS Redditch and Bromsgrove CCG, NHS South Worcestershire CCG, NHS Wyre Forest CCG, and associated commissioners are seeking to jointly procure a Non-Emergency Patient Transportation Service (NEPTS) for eligible patients within the local health population.
The department of health’s guidance “Eligibility Criteria for Patient Transport Service” (2007) definition of a patient transport service is to provide an NHS funded mechanism for patients with non-emergency, urgent unplanned and planned medical needs to be transported from either their place of residence (or a community/acute NHS healthcare provider location) to a community or acute setting and returned to either their original place of residence or to their new place of residence/healthcare provision.
The above named commissioning bodies are seeking to procure a Non-Emergency Patient Transportation Service for the local area that will safely, effectively and sustainably transport eligible patients between their nominated place of residence to, from and between NHS-funded healthcare facilities in a timely manner, in support of their health care.
The key aim of this service shall be to provide transport for patients with a medical need from a place of residence to community and acute settings and returned to their place (original or new) of residence, in comfort and without detriment to their medical condition.
The commissioning bodies intend to award one contract. The contract duration shall be five (5) years, with the option to extend for a further two (2) years, subject to agreement. The new service must commence on the 1.4.2020.
The service shall primarily cover Herefordshire, Worcestershire and central Powys. Aneurin Bevan Local Health Board, NHS Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Groups shall also participants to the contract for smaller volumes of patients.
Patients eligible for the Non-Emergency Patient Transportation Service will be required to meet the clinical eligibility criteria as stipulated within service specification.
The CCGs have set affordability thresholds for the Procurement. For year 1. the maximum financial threshold is 4 781 280 GBP (excluding VAT). For the five (5) year contract period, the total maximum affordability threshold is 23 906 398 GBP (excluding VAT). The CCGs reserve the right to reject any bids that are unaffordable.
“Light Touch Regime” services: this service is classified as clinical which comes under the light touch regime services for the purpose of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 as specified in Schedule 3 of the Regulations (“Regulations”). The Contracting Authorities are not voluntarily following any other part of the Regulations. As the CCG is a relevant body for the purpose of the National Health Service (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) (No 2) Regulations 2013 these Regulations also apply to this procurement. All dates, time periods and values specified in this notice are provisional and the Contracting Authority reserves the right to change these.
Transparency: the Contracting Authority is subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR) and may be required to disclose information received in the course of this service under FOIA or the EIR. In addition, and in accordance with the UK Government's policies on transparency. This service may be subject to possible redactions at the discretion of the Contracting Authority. Any redactions, whether in relation to information requests under FOIA, the EIR or policies on transparency will be in accordance with those grounds prescribed under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. Further information on transparency can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-and-contracting-transparency-requirements-guidance