Non-emergency Transport and Other Transport Services DPS
Framework Description
The Non-emergency Transport and Other Transport Services DPS is run by NHS London Procurement Partnership, hosted by Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It replaces the 2017 and 2019 arrangements and gives NHS and public sector organisations a compliant route to award non-emergency transport contracts across 13 UK regions. It has six categories, including a new Transport of Medicines category, and runs until 6 February 2029.
Context & Use Case
NHS trusts and commissioners use it to buy patient transport for appointments and discharges, secure transport for mental health patients, high dependency transfers, and taxi or passenger services. The booking and eligibility category lets buyers contract out the assessment and booking process itself. Regional coverage helps buyers find local providers for each competition.
Scope of Services
Category 1: Booking and Eligibility Assessment Services Category 2: Core Patient Transport Services Category 3: Mental Health and Secure Transport Services Category 4: High Dependency Transport Services Category 5: Taxi and Passenger Transport Services Category 6: Transport of Medicines
Lots
Category 1: Booking and Eligibility Assessment Services; Category 2: Core Patient Transport Services; Category 3: Mental Health and Secure Transport Services; Category 4: High Dependency Transport Services; Category 5: Taxi and Passenger Transport Services; Category 6: Transport of Medicines
Who Can Apply
Suits patient transport operators, secure transport specialists, taxi and passenger transport firms, booking and eligibility assessment providers, and medicines couriers. As a DPS, it accepts applications during its term, so suppliers can apply now for the categories and regions they can serve.
Buyer Benefits
Late or missed patient transport means missed appointments and delayed discharges. The DPS lets buyers run a competition quickly, choose suppliers by category and region, and draw on a pool that keeps growing. The medicines category adds a route for moving medicines between sites.
Next Steps
Read the DPS page on the LPP website and decide which categories and regions match your fleet, staff training and accreditations. Prepare evidence such as vehicle specifications, crew training records and safeguarding policies, then apply through LPP. Once admitted, watch for competitions in your regions and categories.
How Athena Can Help
Patient transport bids are scored on safety, staffing and how well you handle peaks in demand. Athena's transport DPS applications service picks your categories and regions, writes the narrative answers and checks the application for compliance.
For each competition, our bid management for transport contracts builds the method statements, mobilisation plans and win themes, and our advice on pricing public contracts prices trips and services so you win the contract and stay profitable over its term.
