One week until new Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) launches in Sussex
The service will offer a range of benefits including:
- A single point of co-ordination for all patients seeking transport to secondary care services. This contact centre will operate seven-days-a-week, including public and bank holidays.
- An expanded and more responsive transport service running for at least 12 hours a day, seven days a week, to support patients and discharged from hospital.
- Provision of improved services for mental health patients, including those detained under the Mental Health Act, enabling transport to and from all secondary and tertiary services.
- Use of modern technology to enhance the patient experience (e.g. use of web-based portals and, over time, apps, if patients are comfortable to use them and have access to the required technology).
- Improved accessibility to the service such as offering translation services or support for those with visual or hearing impairments, same-sex drivers, availability of specialist equipment, accommodation of escorts and flexibility regarding drop-off locations.
Provided by EMED Group, eligible patients and healthcare professionals can book transport by calling the new dedicated telephone number: 0300 777 4444
Patients can also access general service information and answers to frequently asked questions, as well as leaflets including easy read versions, at www.emedgroup.co.uk/sussex.
This marks the conclusion of a robust process over the last six years to redesign a new non-emergency patient transport service, including a year-long mobilisation period, during which we worked closely with our new provider, EMED Group, and our previous provider, South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS), to ensure a safe and effective handover.
This new service will offer a range of benefits to people living across Sussex who need help and support to get to and from important NHS appointments.
We know how vital this service is for local people and for the services that it helps to run smoothly – getting people to hospitals on time and leaving when they are ready – and we have been working closely with EMED for a year to ensure all arrangements are in place for next week.
People should continue to use the existing service this week and any bookings that they have arranged, and they will be advised by their healthcare team of the new service details as it goes live next Tuesday.
Extensive engagement with people who use current services, clinicians, including Healthwatch in Sussex, and our acute, mental health and community hospital trusts, all helped to shape the new service, as well as the latest national guidance.
Over several years, Healthwatch has worked to improve patient transport in Sussex, in collaboration with the ICB and our partners and recently won a national Healthwatch Impact Award, which showcases outstanding examples of where feedback shared from local people has been used to make positive changes to health and care support.
Healthwatch in Sussex congratulates EMED on successfully being appointed as the new provider for Non-Emergency Patient Transport in Sussex following a competitive open procurement process.
We look forward to working with them as they deliver the new contract. We are pleased that the service specification reflects what patients have told us they wanted to see from the service, including improved communications, greater ability to track vehicles and clearer guidance around eligibility.
The service is a lifeline for many people and Healthwatch will continue to monitor performance and engage service users to support its continual improvement.
More information about the current service, and a little more about the new service, can be found here.
More information can also be found on our website, including patient information leaflets and eligibility guidance.