Patient transport tenders: how NHS non-emergency transport contracts are bought
Non-emergency patient transport takes eligible patients to and from NHS appointments, and home after a hospital stay. If you run minibuses, wheelchair-accessible vehicles or specialist patient vehicles, it's a steady kind of public work. But where the provider needs CQC registration, the NHS usually buys it under health rules rather than ordinary transport tendering, and the vehicle you use can decide whether you need CQC registration. This guide covers England.
What non-emergency patient transport is, and who's eligible
NHS England's eligibility criteria for non-emergency patient transport (first published 31 May 2022) start from the point that most people should travel to and from hospital independently, by private or public transport. NHS-funded transport is for when it's essential to a patient's safety, safe mobilisation, condition management or recovery.
To be eligible, a patient must first have a reason for the journey: for example, they've been referred by a doctor, dentist or ophthalmic practitioner for NHS-funded diagnostics or treatment outside primary care, or they're being discharged from NHS-funded treatment. Then they must meet at least one of the criteria, which include a medical need for transport, a cognitive or sensory impairment that needs oversight, and a significant mobility need.
The criteria say it's for integrated care boards (ICBs) and their partners, such as acute trusts, primary care providers and other referrers, to oversee local guidance on the eligibility assessment process.
How the NHS buys it: the Provider Selection Regime
The Provider Selection Regime (PSR) came into force on 1 January 2024. It's a set of rules for buying health care services in England, used by relevant authorities: NHS England, ICBs, NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts, and local and combined authorities. Ambulance services (CPV code 85143000-3) are among the health care services listed in Schedule 1 of the PSR regulations. NHS England's PSR statutory guidance says patient transport is in scope where the provider requires CQC registration. Patient transport that doesn't need CQC registration is out of scope, unless it's part of a mixed procurement, and must be bought under the wider public procurement rules.
NHS England's PSR page sets out the ways a contract can be awarded:
- Direct award processes A, B and C: where the existing provider is the only one that can deliver the service (A), where patients have a choice of providers and their number isn't restricted (B), or where the existing provider is satisfying its contract and the arrangements aren't changing considerably (C).
- The most suitable provider process, where the buyer can identify the most suitable provider without running a competition.
- The competitive process, a competition between providers.
In each case the buyer must keep records and publish transparency notices. The PSR doesn't apply to buying goods or non-health care services, unless they're part of a mixed procurement.
Do you need CQC registration?
Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, "transport services, triage and medical advice provided remotely" is a regulated activity. It covers transport services provided by means of a vehicle designed for the primary purpose of carrying a person who requires treatment. The regulations except transport only within the site or venue of a sporting activity or event or a cultural event, and some air ambulances. A "vehicle" includes air and water ambulances.
So whether you need to register depends on your vehicles and what you do. Check the regulations and CQC's guidance on the scope of registration before you bid, and expect the buyer to ask.
Where patient transport tenders are published
The PSR regulations say buyers submit their notices for publication on the central digital platform, the government's online procurement system on GOV.UK. That covers notices inviting offers, notices of intention to award and award notices. Our guide to using Find a Tender shows how to search notices.
From our own count of the public data, Find a Tender carried 27 passenger transport tender notices from 1 September to 28 October 2026, of which 6 had a stated value under £500,000. Contracts Finder carried 206 passenger transport opportunities from 1 July to 28 October 2026, and recorded 1,680 contract awards, 340 of them (20%) to SMEs. Passenger transport is a wider category than patient transport.
Can a small minibus or wheelchair-accessible vehicle operator win this work?
Read each notice for:
- the vehicle types and patient needs covered, and whether CQC registration is required
- crew training, vetting and infection control requirements
- the hours, journey volumes and response times
- whether the contract is split into lots, by area or type of journey
- whether the buyer is using a competitive process or another PSR process
A small operator with the right vehicles and staff can bid for lots that fit, or talk to the main providers about subcontracted work. If the existing provider already holds the contract and the buyer plans to keep it, a notice of intention to award may be the first you hear. Our guides to NHS tenders for small businesses, transport tenders in the UK and home-to-school transport contracts cover the related work. To decide whether a tender is worth your week, see our bid or no-bid guide.
Questions
Who commissions non-emergency patient transport?
Where the provider needs CQC registration, NHS bodies usually buy it under the Provider Selection Regime, whose relevant authorities are NHS England, integrated care boards, NHS trusts and foundation trusts, and local and combined authorities. NHS England's criteria say ICBs and their partners oversee local eligibility guidance.
Do I need CQC registration to run patient transport?
It depends on the vehicle and what you do. Transport services provided by a vehicle designed for the primary purpose of carrying a person who requires treatment are a regulated activity, with some exceptions. Check the regulations and CQC's guidance on scope before you bid.
What is the Provider Selection Regime?
The Provider Selection Regime (PSR) is the set of rules for buying health care services in England, in force since 1 January 2024. It lets buyers award contracts through direct award processes, the most suitable provider process or a competitive process, and requires transparency notices. NHS England's statutory guidance says patient transport is in scope where the provider requires CQC registration.
Where are NHS patient transport tenders advertised?
The PSR regulations say buyers submit their notices for publication on the central digital platform, the government's online procurement system on GOV.UK. That includes notices inviting offers and notices of intention to award a contract.
Can a small minibus operator win patient transport work?
Yes, if your vehicles, staff and any registration fit what the buyer asks for. Check whether the contract is split into lots. Read each notice for the vehicle types, patient needs and crew requirements before you decide to bid.
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Sources
- NHS England: Eligibility criteria for non-emergency patient transport services (first published 31 May 2022; read 31 October 2026)
- NHS England: Provider Selection Regime (read 31 October 2026)
- NHS England: The Provider Selection Regime: statutory guidance (updated April 2025; read 31 October 2026)
- The Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, SI 2023/1348 (read 31 October 2026), regulations 2, 9 and 11 and Schedule 1
- The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, Schedule 1, paragraph 9 (read 31 October 2026)
- CQC: Scope of registration (read 31 October 2026)
- Your Evenings Ltd analysis of Find a Tender notices (1 September to 28 October 2026) and Contracts Finder opportunities and awards (1 July to 28 October 2026), from the services' public data
This guide summarises the official sources above. It isn't legal advice. Check the notice and tender documents for each contract.
Written with AI assistance by the Your Evenings team at Your Evenings Ltd. Last updated 31 October 2026.