Midlands Critical Care Transfer Service Ambulance Provider

NHS England is seeking an ambulance provider to support the Midlands Critical Care Transfer Services (MCCTs), covering specialist transfers for neonatal, paediatric and adult critical care patients alongside Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) transfer services.

The procurement is being hosted by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust on behalf of NHS England and has an estimated contract value of £85.2 million.

The appointed provider will be required to deliver a dedicated ambulance transfer service operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to support the clinical and operational delivery of time-critical specialised commissioned services.

Critical Care Transfer Services

The ambulance provision will support the Midlands Critical Care Transfer Services across four areas:

• Neonatal Critical Care Retrieval Services – CenTre and NTS
• Paediatric Critical Care Retrieval Services – CoMET and KIDS
• Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation Transfer Service (ECMO) – covering adult, paediatric and neonatal services
• Adult Critical Care Transfer Service – ACCOTS

The Midlands Critical Care Transfer Services cover the Midlands for neonatal, paediatric and adult critical care. The ECMO service has a wider remit, providing supra-regional care and supporting the devolved nations.

The successful ambulance provider will be responsible for supporting these services through continuous 24/7, 365-day provision.

Further requirements relating to legal and financial capacity and technical ability are contained within the Tender Procurement Pack available through Atamis under reference C462374.

Contract Information

Buyer: NHS England

Procurement Hosted By: University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Deadline: 6 October 2026, 12:00pm

Enquiry Deadline: 1 September 2026, 12:00pm

Contract Value: £85,200,000 excluding VAT / £85,200,000 including VAT

Delivery Length: 1 April 2029 to 31 March 2039, with the option to extend for up to two years to 31 March 2041

Tender Link: Access the Atamis e-Tendering portal

Reference: C462374

Estimated Award Decision Date: 8 December 2026

Suppliers must review the procurement requirements and documents and submit their tenders electronically through the Atamis portal using reference C462374. Submissions must be made in English.

Evaluation Criteria

Tenders will be evaluated using the following weightings:

• Technical / Quality – 70%
• Commercial / Cost – 20%
• Social Value – 10%

Procurement Procedure

The opportunity is being conducted through an Open procedure.

The estimated publication date for the next tender notice is 1 April 2039.

With an estimated value of £85.2 million and a potential 12-year duration, the procurement represents a substantial long-term opportunity for ambulance providers capable of supporting specialist, time-critical critical care transfers across neonatal, paediatric and adult services, including the wider geographical requirements of the ECMO transfer service.

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