Third Party Provider Transport Framework

North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (NEAS) are the Ambulance (Blue Light) Emergency Service for the North East of England. As one of 10 English NHS Ambulance Trusts, we work across the region to provide emergency ambulance care and patient transport services to over 2.7 million people. We also provide the regions 999 and NHS 111 non-emergency phone lines, provide medical cover at events, and deliver first aid training to businesses and communities in the North East.

We operate from 60+ sites and cover almost 3,500 square miles, including the counties of Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and the boroughs of Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar, Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees.

We employ more than 3,000 people and respond to approx 400,000 emergency and urgent incidents each year.

During periods of peak demand and maximum capacity, NEAS call upon third party provider partners to support our response to emergencies and patient transport requirements. Currently we have contracts in place with partner organisations until 31st March 2025, including regional taxi services which play an important role in transporting patients to and from appointments.

The purpose of this PIN is to inform the market of our current position, and our intention to carry out a procurement exercise to retender these services. Our intention is to publish this tender opportunity 1st July 2024.

This will provide sufficient time between tender issue and end date of the current contracts in which to complete the tender and award process, as well as required mobilisation of any newly appointed providers.

Providers with the capacity and capability to provide emergency response, patient conveyance and/or taxi services within the North East of England are asked to note this PIN and the planned tender issue date (1st July 2024). An outline of the proposed lot structure is provided further within this PIN, with detailed specifications of each lot to be included within the tender documents when published.