Medical Records Transportation Service (Specialised Patient Record Movement)

Overview

Justification for the Use of a Direct Award Procedure NWSSP on behalf of Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB intends to award a contract for the Medical Records Transportation Service to Just Wales Ltd under the permitted direct award provisions of the Procurement Act 2023. The justification is based on the regulatory grounds below:Regulation 42 – Award necessary to protect life, health, or public order. The service is essential to patient safety. Clinical teams rely on the timely delivery of physical medical records for diagnosis and treatment. Any interruption would delay care and create immediate clinical risk. A direct award is therefore necessary to protect life and health.Schedule 5, Paragraph 5 – No reasonable alternative supplier. The market has been scoped and it has been determined that no reasonable alternative provider is able to deliver the service without introducing substantial risk.The service requires:• Established familiarity with local clinical environments, hospital layouts, and record flow patterns• Proven reliability in time critical deliver• Secure handling of medical information• Compliance with environmental, labour, ethical, equality, and Welsh language duties. Just Wales Ltd already demonstrates full compliance and dependable performance. Transitioning to another supplier would require extensive onboarding and introduce unacceptable risk.Schedule 5, Paragraph 7 – Additional or repeat services from the existing supplier. The service is an extension of existing operational arrangements. A change of supplier at this point would result in:• Incompatibility with established delivery routes and workflows• Disproportionate technical difficulties, including TUPE implications, workforce disruption, and the risk of delayed or failed deliveries• Reduced continuity of service, critical to safe clinical operation. Additional Considerations Just Wales Ltd currently delivers the service in full compliance with environmental and sustainable transport requirements, employment and labour law obligations, ethical standards, anti blacklisting provisions, and safeguarding policies, along with applicable Welsh language standards A change of supplier would risk temporary or sustained non compliance in these areas. NWSSP is satisfied that a direct award to Just Wales Ltd is legally justified under:• Regulation 42 (protection of life and health)• Schedule 5, Paragraph 5 (no reasonable alternatives)• Schedule 5, Paragraph 7 (additional/repeat services with technical incompatibility risks)This approach ensures continuity of a safety critical service, maintains compliance with statutory obligations, and avoids disproportionate operational risks.