PRIVATE firm Arriva Transport Solutions has come out top in a bidding process to find a provider for non-emergency ambulance services in Swindon.

A number of firms, plus South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust, submitted bids for the five-year contract, estimated at £30m to £50m, to run patient transport services across the region.

Non-emergency patient transport services are the planned movement of patients with a medical need for transport to and from NHS healthcare premises.

The services across Swindon, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset are currently being supplied through a number of private and NHS providers.

SWAST runs the service covering Swindon.

Last year, Swindon Primary Care Trust, Wiltshire PCT, Bath and North East Somerset PCT and Gloucestershire PCT, tendered a joint contract to find one provider for the whole region.

PCTs were replaced by Clinical Commissioning Groups in April. Now Wiltshire CCG has announced the preferred bidder is Arriva Transport Solutions, a specialist transport business within the Arriva Group offering bespoke services across the health and social care sectors.

Wiltshire CCG says the firm will operate a single point of contact via a designated telephone number to enable patients and health representatives to book the transport quickly and receive advice and support.

Wiltshire CCG chief officer Deborah Fielding said: “We want patients in Wiltshire to experience safe, timely, clean and comfortable transport.”

Wiltshire CCG hopes to announce the contract award this month.