Awarded without open competition
Awarded without open competition. The buyer went directly to one or a few suppliers instead of advertising the contract. Procurement rules allow this only in specific cases, such as extreme urgency, when only one supplier can do the work, or for call-offs from an existing framework.
Key facts
- Buyer
- NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board · Body governed by public law
- Value
- £5,437,678
- Procedure
- Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
- Sector
- Health & social care · Health services (CPV 85100000)
- Region
- South East
- Official notice
- 022926-2026 on Find a Tender
- Timeline
-
- Contract date2 Mar 2026
- Published13 Mar 2026Published 11 days after the contract date
Description
Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS), provided by the NHS to transport patients who are unable to attend healthcare appointments due to their medical condition. This service is essential for patients requiring transport for outpatient or haemodialysis appointments, as well as for hospital transfers and discharges. NEPTS is funded and available to those who meet specific eligibility criteria, ensuring that limited resources are used effectively for those most in need.<br/><br/>The patient is likely to qualify for non-emergency patient transport if they meet one or more of the following criteria:<br/>- They have a medical need<br/>- They have a cognitive or sensory impairment<br/>- They have a significant mobility need<br/>- They are travelling to or returning from in-centre haemodialysis<br/>- A safeguarding concern has been raised<br/>- They have wider mobility or medical needs that have resulted in treatment or discharge being missed or severely delayed.<br/><br/>The ICB i…
About the supplier
South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust: every public contract they have won.