Official UK procurement notice
Patient Conveyance · UK public procurement notice
Authority: Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Rapid Response capacity and resource deployment is co-ordinated centrally by Rapid Response Co-ordinators, based in the First Response Hub and overseen by the First Response Hub Co-ordinator and Patient Flow Manager.
The service will provide safe, effective, and appropriate transport for people who have been assessed as requiring an admission to a mental health bed for all adult mental health patients within the CWP footprint. This will include transport from AED departments.
This will include patients who have agreed to informal admission, patients who are recommended for detention under sections of the Mental Health Act (1983) (Section 2,3 and 4).
Diagnosis will not exclude support from the service and transport will be mobilised following robust clinical risk assessment of individuals requiring the transport as documented
Where a Section 2, Section 3, or Section 4 detention has been recommended (whether in the community or at AED), the Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) is responsible for determining the level of conveyance required for the patient. This includes considering the number of staff needed to escort the transport and the appropriate vehicle for the patient's needs. The service has access to wheelchair-accessible vehicles as well as vehicles offering more secure options for patients in mental health crisis.
CPV: Hospital support services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Awarded
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
- 10 Aug 2025, 21:53 BST
- Last source update
- 12 Dec 2025, 13:42 GMT
- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-082496- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0584b2Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- No tenders or no suitable tenders/requests to participate in response to restricted procedure
- Published justification
This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) confirmation of contract award notice. This contract has been awarded under the Health and Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 do not apply to this award. This contract has now been formally awarded using direct award process C.
Contract awarded 21st August 2025
Contract to run from 1st April 2025 to 31st December 2025
Value of the contract is £1,126,221.
There are no declared conflicts of interest of individuals making the decision
Publisher note: Quality & Innovation: The service is required to comply with Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) policies and procedures regarding conveyancing and prioritize the safety and well-being of patients during transport. This includes using appropriate vehicles, humane handling, and ensuring the patient's dignity is respected. The service is also required to collaborate effectively with relevant clinical and operational staff. The service improves individual experience as it avoids protracted waits in AED for transport. The service provides response times within 1 hour, continuity of patient experience, the provider is fully CQC registered and compliance and previous experience of the provider in supporting transport of people experiencing mental health crisis. Weighting 20% Value: Alternative transport service helps reduce unnecessary ambulance journeys to hospitals, and Police assistance freeing up these wider resources for those who truly need them. Timely transport reduces pressures across the system (AED) with the individual being admitted to a mental health bed where their needs can be met. Weighting 20% Integration, collaboration and service sustainability: The service functions via integration with other health and social services, such as psychiatric inpatient units, mental health professionals, and social support systems. This enables a more cohesive approach to mental health care, to improve outcomes for individuals. As noted above the service will go out to competitive tender this financial year, therefore extending the contract will ensure continuity of care to some of our most vulnerable people in society. A break in service would be a risk to patient safety and agreed local obligations. Weighting 20% Improving access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choice: The staff are with professionals trained in dealing with mental health crises, ensuring that patients are treated with the appropriate care and understanding to reduce the risk of harm to patients during transport. A mental health-focused response prevents an individual's crisis from escalating into a dangerous situation, reducing potential harm to themselves or others. Weighting 20% Social value: The provider is local (within the CWP footprint), employing people from the local area. Training and career development opportunities fare available for staff. The provider also has a number of charity partners and provides a range of services outside of this current contract, including help at home, supported housing, respite - thus offering numerous health & wellbeing benefits to the community. Weighting 20%
Notice history
3 releases on Find a TenderPublished amendments (1 · 0 deadline changes)
| When | What | Before | After | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | TextIV.1.1 | Contract to run from 1st April 2025 to 31st December 2025 | Contract to run from 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026 |
1 amendment published without a description.
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| INDEPENDENCE SUPPORT LTD | £1,126,221 †same award published again · counted once | — | Awarded |
| INDEPENDENCE SUPPORT LTD | £1,126,221 † | — | Awarded |
Contracts
Contract 050423-2025-1 · INDEPENDENCE SUPPORT LTD
- Signed
- 21 Aug 2025
- Value
- £1,126,221
- Status
- active
Contract 047466-2025-1 · INDEPENDENCE SUPPORT LTD
- Signed
- 10 Aug 2025
- Value
- £1,126,221
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1bids | — | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- Independent Patient Choice and Procurement PanelReview body
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Independence Support LtdAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.