Market Engagement Event for the Provision of Non-Emergency Patient Transport (NEPTS)

Market Engagement NHS Lancashire & South Cumbria and NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Boards will be launching a procurement for the Provision of Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) across Lancashire and Cumbria. The procurement will be supported by NHS Shared Business Services and NHS 111 Ambulance and Commissioning Team.

The scope of services will include:

• Planned Patient Transport: Routine transport for outpatient appointments
• Unplanned Patient Transport: Transport for patient discharges and short-notice bookings
• Enhanced Priority Service Transport: Time-critical transport for patients attending haemodialysis or oncology treatments.

The Integrated Care Boards are pleased to invite prospective providers to participate in a market engagement exercise relating to the future of NEPTS. As part of this process, organisations are invited to view the available market engagement collateral published on SAP Ariba portal. The portal also includes a messaging function to allow providers to submit questions to the authorities. The portal is available via the following link: https://portal.us.bn.cloud.ariba.com/dashboard/public/appext/comsapsbncdiscoveryui#/RfxEvent/preview/1110029915?anId=ANONYMOUS The authorities are hosting a market engagement event which is open to organisations interested in delivering all or part of the proposed services, including potential lead providers, delivery partners and subcontractors. Organisations are encouraged to nominate representatives with operational, commercial and mobilisation experience.

The event aims to:

Facilitate discussions between commissioners and the market to better understand service delivery challenges and opportunities. Gather feedback on the proposed service model, contract structure, mobilisation requirements and performance measures. Understand market interest across the Lancashire and Cumbria. Identify barriers to participation and opportunities to promote a competitive procurement process. Encourage innovation and best practice in the delivery of Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services. Provide guidance to providers on how to take part in the process. The topics outlined above are intended as a guide and are not intended to limit discussion. Attendees will have the opportunity to raise additional issues and considerations relevant to the proposed procurement. Participation in the market engagement exercise is voluntary and forms no part of any subsequent procurement process. Attendance, non-attendance, completion of the questionnaire, or non-completion of the questionnaire will not affect an organisation's ability to participate in any future procurement opportunity.

Event Details:

Date: Friday 13 November 2026

Time: 10.00 - 12.00

If you wish to attend the event, please complete the registration at the following link by Monday 9 November 2026 by 12 noon: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/BkPfJ1Qe0E Further event details will be provided to registered attendees in advance of the event. We look forward to your participation.