Non-Emergency Patient Transport NHS/SOEPS/22.860 VEAT

This is a VEAT notice for the award of an additional contract of 24 months to the incumbent provider for the period 01/04/23 to 31/03/25.

Patient transport journeys are booked for patients being moved to and from NHS funded treatment at a range of sites across Sussex including acute hospitals and local venues providing community-based care.

The service is responsible for safely and effectively transporting eligible patients between their nominated place of residence, to, from and between NHS-funded healthcare facilities in a timely manner, so that they can receive the health care for which they are booked.

The aftermath of the Covid19 pandemic and ongoing escalation of system pressures on all healthcare resources has brought about a number of new and significant risks that could not have been foreseen and which have further delayed the commissioners' detailed preparation and engagement for a full procurement for the non- emergency patient transport services in Sussex, under Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.)(EU Exit) Regulations 2020.

This has given rise to an urgent need to secure a safe continued provision of the service via a new contract to mitigate these risks and maximise opportunities for the procurement process to deliver a high quality, patient-centred and responsive Non- Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS), which provides value for money, is resilient, environmentally efficient and innovative in the use of information technology to communicate with service users.

Accordingly, the contracting authority considers that the aftermath of the Covid19 pandemic and ongoing escalation of system pressures on all healthcare resources presents a state of urgency that is duly substantiated & been brought about by circumstances which a diligent contracting authority could not have foreseen & award an additional contract of 24 months to the incumbent provider.

The new contract will be a continuation of existing service provision, under current terms and conditions, to transport patients who meet the eligibility criteria to and from their place of residence and Sussex NHS-funded health care facilities.

This responsibility of the service will therefore continue to include: • providing a single point of access and full booking service for patients & Health Care Professionals; • equitable and consistent application of the eligibility criteria to all patients and carers; • signposting patients who are not eligible for PTS to alternative transport arrangements; • effective determination of mobility need or needs; • allocation of journeys across the sub-contracted transport providers through an equitable, open and transparent process; • effective communication & collaboration with system wide stakeholders; • coordination and management of all patient journeys; • timely reporting to commissioners.

NHS Sussex ICB is the successor entity since 1/7/22 to: West Sussex CCG, East Sussex CCG & Brighton and Hove CCG.