"The difference between Health Connections and our previous provider came down to one thing: clinical ownership. When we call at 3 AM with an urgent S136, a clinician takes the call — not a call centre. That single change has eliminated 90% of the friction we used to have around urgent mental health transfers."

CQC Registered · NHS Framework · PSR 2023 Direct Award
England's Most Trusted
Clinical Transport Partner
60+ specialist vehicles. 9 depots. 24/7 clinical dispatch. Zero compromises.
“Big Enough to Cope. Small Enough to Care.”
Independently verified by

Division One
Patient Transport
- ✓Non-emergency patient transport (NEPTS)
- ✓Bariatric transport — 8 specialist vehicles rated 350 kg+
- ✓HDU step-down and high-dependency transfers

Division Two
Secure Mental Health Transport
- ✓S136 Mental Health Act conveyance — 45-min response guarantee
- ✓PICU, CAMHS and under-18 psychiatric transfers
- ✓BILD ACT RRN PMVA accredited crews, re-certified annually
All Services
13 Specialist Services
Mental health transport, NEPTS, bariatric and emergency — commissioned by NHS ICBs, trusts and private providers across England.
NEPTS
Non-emergency patient transport for NHS and ICB referrals nationwide. 98% on-time performance.
View service →S136 / S135 Transport
MHA conveyance to Place of Safety — 45-min written confirmation, clinician answers every call, 24/7.
View service →PICU & HDU Transfers
Psychiatric intensive care and high dependency step-down transfers — clinically escorted, 24/7.
View service →CAMHS Secure Transport
Specialist under-18 mental health transport. Safeguarding Level 4 crews, enhanced DBS on both barred lists.
View service →Secure Patient Transport
Medium and high secure psychiatric transfers — purpose-built vehicles, PMVA-trained escorts, real-time tracking.
View service →Bariatric Transport
8 specialist vehicles with heavy-duty tail lifts, extended-width stretchers and two-person trained crews.
View service →Bedwatch & Enhanced Obs
1:1 and 2:1 enhanced observations in ward environments — trained, documented, escalation-ready, 24/7.
View service →Single WAV Crews
Wheelchair accessible vehicles with trained single crew — cost-effective, risk-assessed before every booking.
View service →Hospital Discharge
Planned and urgent hospital-to-home discharge transport, coordinated with ward staff and real-time ETAs.
View service →AWOL Retrievals
Return to placement for patients absent without leave — rapid 24/7 deployment, de-escalation first approach.
View service →Community MH Transport
Planned transport for community mental health patients — outpatient appointments, day services, consistent crews.
View service →Informal & Voluntary MH
Low to medium acuity mental health transport — community crisis support, voluntary assessments, least-restrictive practice.
View service →Emergency & Rapid Response
10 emergency and 6 rapid response vehicles — blue-light capable, advanced clinical kit, 24/7.
View service →Health Connections is approved on the NHS Patient Transport Framework. Under PSR 2023 Direct Award Process A, B or C, NHS commissioners can award contracts without open tender — reducing procurement from months to days.
Accreditations & Certifications
Independently verified. Annually audited.
Every accreditation below is externally certified. Commissioners can verify independently — documentation available within 2 working days.
All credentials verified as at April 2026. Verify CQC on cqc.org.uk → · Documentation on request: commissioners@nepts.co.uk
What Commissioners Say
Trusted by NHS teams across England.
Illustrative composites based on real commissioner feedback. Names withheld. Verified references available on request — commissioners@nepts.co.uk
"What stood out during procurement was the transparency. They showed us their training matrix, gave us the Clinical Director's mobile number, and offered quarterly governance reviews as standard. It felt like partnering with a clinical service, not buying from a supplier."
"The 45-minute written confirmation commitment was a game-changer for our ward staff. They get written confirmation — crew names, vehicle reg, ETA — within 45 minutes of every referral. That predictability matters when you're managing acutely unwell patients."
Why Health Connections?
What actually makes us different.
Side-by-side with the major providers. Based on publicly available information and operational practice as of April 2026. Commissioners can verify every claim.
| Metric | ★ RECOMMENDEDHealth Connections | HTG-UK | ERS Medical | Prometheus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinician answers dispatch (not admin) | ✓ Every call, 24/7 | ✗ Call centre first | ✗ Admin escalates | ~ Varies by region |
| S136 written confirmation guarantee | ✓ 45 min, written | ✗ Best efforts | ~ 2-hour target | ✗ ASAP (no SLA) |
| Safeguarding Level 4 (above NHS min L3) | ✓ All 120+ staff | ✗ Level 3 only | ~ Select crews | ✗ Level 3 |
| ISO triple cert (9001 + 14001 + 27001) | ✓ All 3 certified | ~ 9001 only | ✗ Not evidenced | ~ 9001 only |
| PMVA audited quarterly (not just annually) | ✓ Every 3 months | ✗ Annual | ✗ Annual | ~ Bi-annual |
| Owner-managed (no PE / holding co.) | ✓ Founder-led | ✗ Corporate | ✗ PE-backed | ~ Group structure |
| Clinical Director on call 24/7 | ✓ Always available | ✗ Escalation path | ~ On-call rota | ✗ Not stated |
| Dedicated bariatric fleet | ✓ 8 specialist vehicles | ~ Some capacity | ✓ Available | ✗ Not specialised |
| Bedwatch & 1:1 enhanced observations | ✓ Dedicated crews | ✗ Transport only | ✗ Not offered | ~ Limited |
| Contract to first deployment | ✓ 4 weeks | ~ 8–12 weeks | ~ 6–10 weeks | ✗ Variable |
| ✓ = Yes / Verified · ~ = Partial / some regions · ✗ = No / not publicly evidenced. Data as of April 2026. Contact commissioners@nepts.co.uk to request evidence for any claim. | ||||
National Coverage
9 depots. Every corner of England.
Same clinical standard. Same 45-minute S136 target. Same crew training. Wherever you commission from.
Every depot operates to the same clinical standard — same crew qualifications, same governance framework, same 45-minute S136 confirmation target. Closest depot dispatched automatically based on real-time availability and patient location.
Outside our network? Contact us → We cover most of England from existing fleetGet in Touch
Make a referral or commissioner enquiry.
For urgent referrals, call 0333 300 2960 — a clinician answers 24/7. For commissioner enquiries, complete the form below or email commissioners@nepts.co.uk.
Call us directly — a clinician answers 24/7. Written confirmation within 45 minutes of every S136 referral.
0333 300 2960Highfield Drive
St Leonards on Sea
TN38 9UH
View on Google Maps →
Our commitment: All commissioner enquiries responded to within 4 working hours. Capability packs delivered within 2 working days. Clinical briefing with our Clinical Director available within 1 week.
Commission with Confidence
Ready to partner with England's leading clinical transport provider?
NHS Framework approved. PSR 2023 Direct Award eligible. No tender required.

