Strategic Air Transportable Isolator-UK2

Further to the previous market exploration for High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) Medical Evacuation (www.gov.uk/government/news/mark… ↗) conducted in 2021, the Ministry of Defence through UK Defence Innovation is running a request for information from industry in order to develop the understanding of the market for Air Transportable Isolators (ATIs).

This pre-market engagement seeks to:

• Verify if information received from previous engagement is still valid;
• Determine if there is sufficient market capability, capacity and interest;
• Identify suppliers who have an existing ATI product / have a design for an ATI product that requires development;
• Assist in understanding if the existing requirements are feasible;
• Provide key information in supporting the approach to any future procurement, including designing an effective competitive procedure.

This does not act as pre-qualification, and nothing submitted in this engagement will limit the opportunity to engage in any follow-on procurement process.

The Deployable Air Isolator Team (DAIT), is a joint Department of Health and Social Care and MOD asset to transport patients with suspected or confirmed High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID). The current ATI provides the capability for global strategic Aeromedical Evacuation (AE) of a patient with a HCID.

Defence requires a resilient, assured and interoperable next-generation Strategic ATI to maintain interoperability with NHS, improve and update military equipment and to enhance supply chain resilience. This will provide Global Strategic Aeromedical Evacuation from Point of Injury/Illness back to UK NHS High Level Isolation Units (HLIU), including permissive and austere environments.

The following are the overarching requirements, which are subject to change:

• Threat context –HCID (Definitions include: UKHSA, WHO, Level 4 biological threats, and novel/unidentified pathogens) requiring full isolation, including airborne, droplet and contact transmission risks to aircrew, medical personnel, aircraft and population.
• Platform / domain – current Royal Air Force strategic fixed wing aircraft (with potential for future airframes and NATO partner platforms) with onward ground transfer via specialist ambulatory systems.
• Key metric 1 - Full containment of HCID (Level 4) pathogens (airborne/contact) throughout transfer.
• Key metric 2 - Achieve Release to Service and certified airworthiness on current and future strategic AE platforms.
• Key metric 3 - Enable full clinical care including operation of ventilators, monitors, and other Electrical Medical Equipment.
• Key metric 4 - Enable seamless end-to-end patient transfer from aircraft to NHS HLIU.
• Key metric 5 - Sustain independent operation for minimum 48 hours.

Please note that at this stage the funding and timescales are not approved and are very rough estimates.