SECURE TRANSPORT SERVICES FOR MENTAL HEALTH PATIENTS

The contract is for the provision of secure transport services for mental health patients across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. The service will support the safe, timely, and compassionate transfer of patients between a range of settings, including acute hospital sites, community locations, inpatient mental health units, and other clinically appropriate destinations across the UK. This will include hospital-to-hospital transfers, community-to-hospital admissions, discharge-related transport, and other clinically required journeys. The provider will be required to deliver a flexible, responsive, and multi-purpose transport service capable of meeting a wide range of patient needs, including routine, urgent, and high-risk transfers. This includes the safe conveyance of patients detained under the Mental Health Act, as well as those requiring enhanced supervision, secure transport arrangements, or specialist handling. All services must be delivered in a manner that prioritises patient safety, dignity, and wellbeing, with staff trained in trauma-informed care, de-escalation techniques, and the safe and proportionate use of restraint where clinically necessary. The service must operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year, supporting both pre-planned and emergency requests. Providers will be expected to meet defined response times, including urgent responses within one hour and standard responses within two hours. The provider must maintain an appropriately resourced and roadworthy fleet, including vehicles capable of meeting enhanced safety requirements (such as secure pods or cells where required), and ensure availability of suitable staffing levels determined through risk assessment for each journey. The provider will also be required to ensure full compliance with all relevant statutory, regulatory, and clinical standards, including the Mental Health Act, safeguarding requirements, NHS Wales standards, and applicable guidance from Healthcare Inspectorate Wales. Robust arrangements for quality assurance, incident reporting, performance monitoring, and continuous improvement will be expected, alongside effective communication and coordination with Health Board services. The contract is expected to commence in January 2027 for an initial term of three years, with the option to extend for a further period of up to two years, subject to satisfactory performance and agreement by the Health Board.