Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
NHS Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group
Wren House, Colchester Road
Chelmsford
CM2 5PF
UK
Contact person: Amy Wilson
E-mail: amy.wilson@attain.co.uk
NUTS: UKH3
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://midessexccg.nhs.uk/
I.1) Name and addresses
NHS Basildon and Brentwood Clinical Commissioning Group
Phoenix House, Christopher Martin Road
Basildon
SS14 3HG
UK
Contact person: NHS Basildon & Brentwood Clinical Commissioning Group
E-mail: amy.wilson@attain.co.uk
NUTS: UKH3
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.basildonandbrentwoodccg.nhs.uk
I.1) Name and addresses
NHS Southend Clinical Commissioning Group
6th Floor, Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue
Southend-on-Sea
SS1 9SB
UK
Contact person: Amy Wilson
E-mail: amy.wilson@attain.co.uk
NUTS: UKH3
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://southendccg.nhs.uk/
I.1) Name and addresses
NHS Thurrock Clinical Commissioning Group
Civic Offices 2nd Floor, New Road
Grays
RM17 6SL
UK
Contact person: Amy Wilson
E-mail: amy.wilson@attain.co.uk
NUTS: UKH3
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.thurrockccg.nhs.uk/
I.1) Name and addresses
NHS Castle Point and Rochford Clinical Commissioning Group
Pearl House, 12 Castle Road
Rayleigh
SS6 7QF
UK
Contact person: Amy Wilson
E-mail: amy.wilson@attain.co.uk
NUTS: UKH3
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://castlepointandrochfordccg.nhs.uk/
I.1) Name and addresses
NHS West Essex Clinical Commissioning Group
Building 4 Spencer Close, The Plain
Epping
CM16 6TN
UK
Contact person: Amy Wilson
E-mail: amy.wilson@attain.co.uk
NUTS: UKH35
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://westessexccg.nhs.uk/
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract involves joint procurement
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Health
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Mid and south Essex Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS)
Reference number: ACE-0477-2021-ALC
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85100000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
The Contracting Authorities (hereinafter referred to as "the Authority") for this procurement were: NHS Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (as Coordinating Commissioner), NHS Basildon & Brentwood Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS Castle Point and Rochford Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS Southend Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS Thurrock Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS West Essex Clinical Commissioning Group.
The Authority has awarded a contract to deliver Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) for the population of mid and south Essex (MSE), to the most economically advantageous tenderer (Thames Ambulance Service Limited) as a result of an 'Open' (above light-touch threshold) procurement procedure.
The Service covers all land-based provision (across all ages) with the exception of secure mental health transport. Additionally, the service will be provided to patients registered with NHS West Essex CCG in relation to journeys to/from the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
40 559 758.00
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKH3
UKH35
Main site or place of performance:
The Service will primarily be delivered within Essex and surrounding areas and for patients registered with NHS West Essex CCG in relation to journeys to/from the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre.
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Authority has awarded a contract to deliver Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) for the population of mid and south Essex (MSE), to the most economically advantageous tenderer (Thames Ambulance Service Limited) as a result of an 'Open' (above light-touch threshold) procurement procedure.
The Service covers all land-based provision (across all ages) with the exception of secure mental health transport. Additionally, the service will be provided to patients registered with NHS West Essex CCG in relation to journeys to/from the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre. The Service was not lotted as it was deemed that would result in unnecessary fragmentation and complexities.
The NEPTS encompasses:
• Booking & Eligibility Assessment;
• Transportation of patients; and
• On Site support at local NHS Acute Trust sites.
NEPTS are a key enabler underpinning access to elective care and supporting timely and efficient discharge processes for acute and community providers. As a partner within the system, the successful provider will support improvements in the latter stages of urgent and emergency care pathways, enabling patient choice and equitable access for elective care.
The Contract has been awarded for a term of 60 months (five years), with the possibility of extending the term for a period of 24 additional months (two years) beyond the initial contracted duration by agreement between the Authority and the Bidder.
The anticipated aggregate contract value including extensions, variations, growth and inflation advertised in the Find a Tender Service Contract Notice was £73,150,000 and the contract was awarded within the pre-published affordability envelope of £40,800,000 over the full 5 years contract term.
The contract model for the NEPTS is a block, with tolerance levels of 5% to be applied to the contract, which will be monitored on a mobility level, with adjustment to the block being considered if activity goes above tolerance levels.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion: Quality
/ Weighting: 80
Price
/ Weighting:
20
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
Yes
Description of options:
Option to extend for up to an additional two years after the initial 5 year term.
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
No
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2021/S 000-010354
Section V: Award of contract
Title: Mid and south Essex Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS)
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
29/09/2021
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 5
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Thames Ambulance Service Limited (TASL)
Danwood House, Harrisson Place, Whisby Road, Lincoln
Lincolnshire
LN6 3AH
UK
NUTS: UKF3
The contractor is an SME:
Yes
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 40 559 758.00
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
The contract is likely to be subcontracted
Value or proportion likely to be subcontracted to third parties
Proportion: 1 %
Short description of the part of the contract to be subcontracted:
Paramedic and Ambulance Technician work only
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
The Services to which this Procurement related fall within Schedule 3 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020). As such, the procurement of the Services was conducted as a bespoke, single stage application process akin to the Open procedure, involving a number of stages which are outlined within the suite of procurement documents. The Authority does not intend to hold itself bound by any of the Regulations, save those applicable to Schedule 3 Services.
As published in the FTS Contract Notice, he Authority may wish to introduce additional services during the lifetime of the contract ("Contract modifications"). Such contract modifications will be contemplated where additional requirements are similar and or complementary to the services already included in the Specification, at any given time. The aggregate contract value (£73,150,000.00) published in the FTS Contract Notice was inclusive of all options to extend and any such potential modifications over the term of the contract.
Such expansion would be by the addition of services commissioned by the Authority as named in the Contract Notice. To this end, the Bidder should be aware that after the award of contract, there is a possibility that the successful Bidder may be offered a variation to the contract to include (but not be limited to) reduction of activity and removal of funding for Personal Health Budgets and/or an increase in additional low level/low risk journeys where activity may be transferred from the 999 contract to the patient transport service (for example 'GP Urgents' services) in accordance with Regulation 72 (1) (a) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020).
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
High Court of Justice of England and Wales
Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
UK
VI.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
NHS Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group
Wren House, Colchester Road
Chelmsford
CM2 5PF
UK
E-mail: amy.wilson@attain.co.uk
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
20/10/2021