Official UK procurement notice
MRI Backlog Reduction and Diagnostic Capacity Support Service
Authority: East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionEast Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust intends to award a contract for the provision of additional MRI diagnostic capacity to support waiting list reduction and RTT recovery.
The service will be delivered from the provider's Whitstable MRI facility at Estuary View and includes patient booking, MRI scanning, diagnostic reporting, administration and associated support services.
The Trust has undertaken the Most Suitable Provider Process under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 and has identified the provider as the most suitable provider having regard to the key criteria.
This notice serves as an intention to award a contract under the Most Suitable Provider Process.
CPV: Medical imaging services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust intends to award a contract under…Awarded
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust intends to award a contract under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 using the Most Suitable Provider Process.
The contract is for the provision of additional MRI diagnostic imaging capacity to support waiting list reduction and recovery of referral to treatment performance.
Services include patient booking, appointment management, MRI safety screening, MRI scanning, diagnostic reporting, management of cancellations and DNAs, image transfer and associated administration services.
The service will be delivered by AM Diagnostic Imaging Ltd. trading as AM Diagnostic Services, part of the Affidea Group, from Whitstable MRI at Estuary View, Kent.
This is a new backlog reduction arrangement intended to support the transfer of an initial cohort of approximately 1,000 clinically vetted non-contrast MRI patients, together with any subsequent activity agreed by the parties.
The approximate lifetime value of the contract is £250,000 excluding VAT.
The initial service period is anticipated to run from contract award until 31 March 2027.
This notice constitutes an intention to award a contract under the Most Suitable Provider Process. Additional information: The Trust identified AM Diagnostic Imaging Ltd. trading as AM Diagnostic Services, part of the Affidea Group, as the most suitable provider. The service will be delivered from Whitstable MRI at Estuary View, providing accessible local capacity for East Kent patients.
The contracting authority reserves the option to continue the arrangement beyond the initial term subject to operational requirements, performance, funding and agreement between the parties.
The provider demonstrated available MRI capacity, the ability to commence mobilisation rapidly, integration with Trust pathways and the capability to support waiting-list reduction objectives. The Trust considered patient accessibility, service continuity, available local capacity, quality and value in reaching its decision.
No equivalent local MRI capacity capable of meeting the Trust's requirements within the required mobilisation timescales and patient access requirements was identified.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded without competition
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 26 Oct 2026, 15:44 GMT
- Last source update
- 26 Oct 2026, 15:44 GMT
- Authority reference
C485722- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-101163- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-079071Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive
- Published justification
This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice.
The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.
For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and Procurement Act 2023 do not apply to this award.
The standstill period begins on the day after publication of this notice.
Representations by providers must be made to the decision makers by 10 November 2026.
This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.
- Review procedure
The provider selection process has been conducted in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.
Representations relating to this intended award must be submitted in writing during the standstill period specified in this notice. Representations should be addressed to the contracting authority using the contact details provided within this notice.
Publisher note: This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and Procurement Act 2023 do not apply to this award. The standstill period begins on the day after publication of this notice. Representations by providers must be made by 10 November 2026. Representations should be submitted in writing to: ekh-tr.procurement@nhs.net This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR. Decision-makers: - Managing Director of Diagnostics, Cancer and Buckland Care Group; - Head of Operations - Radiology (X-Ray); - Senior Category Manager - Corporate Services acting on behalf of East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust - Appropriate Trust approving officers in accordance with the Scheme of Reservation and Delegation. Conflicts of Interest: No conflicts of interest were declared by the decision-makers. Any identified conflicts have been reviewed and managed in accordance with the Trust's Conflicts of Interest Policy. Relative importance of the key criteria: • Quality and Innovation - High • Value - High • Improving Access, Reducing Health Inequalities and Facilitating Choice - High • Integration, Collaboration and Service Sustainability - Medium • Social Value - Medium Rationale for provider selection: The Trust identified AM Diagnostic Imaging Ltd. trading as AM Diagnostic Services, part of the Affidea Group, as the most suitable provider following assessment against the statutory key criteria under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The provider offers MRI diagnostic capacity delivered from Whitstable MRI at Estuary View, providing accessible local services for East Kent patients and supporting waiting-list reduction and RTT recovery objectives. The provider demonstrated the ability to mobilise rapidly, integrate with existing Trust pathways, provide patient booking and administration services, diagnostic reporting arrangements and sufficient capacity to support the Trust's requirements. The Trust considered available local MRI capacity, patient accessibility, operational capability, service continuity, quality and value. The provider offers MRI capacity from Whitstable MRI at Estuary View, providing a local solution for East Kent patients and reducing travel burden when compared with alternative available providers. No equivalent local MRI capacity capable of delivering the required service within the required timeframe was identified. Accordingly, the Trust concluded that AM Diagnostic Services represents the most suitable provider for this service.
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AM Diagnostic Imaging LtdSubcontracting: Diagnostic reporting services may be provided through the provider's reporting partner, Hexarad Group Ltd. | £250,000 † | — | Awarded |
Contracts
MRI Backlog Reduction and Diagnostic Capacity Support Service · AM Diagnostic Imaging Ltd
- Signed
- 26 Oct 2026
- Value
- £250,000
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1bids · 1 electronic | 1 | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- The High Court of JusticeReview body
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- AM Diagnostic Imaging Ltd. trading as AM Diagnostic ServicesAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.