Users Perspectives on the Patient Transport Service

Findings

Patients reported that the PTS performed extremely poorly in the initial months (April to July 2016) when Coperforma took over the contract.

Nearly all patients who used the service in this period reported pickup failures, long delays and a poor quality service. A number of patients described the situation in this period as “chaotic”. Patients reported some improvements in overall performance since August. Nevertheless only two thirds were satisfied and most people still noted ongoing significant issues particularly with the Saturday service. Key issues identified by patients about their current service were the following:

• Delays commonly experienced on Saturdays when private taxi firms were used.
• Poor customer service from some taxi drivers.
• Lack of understanding about health and care needs, and lack of empathy from some taxi driver.
• Lack of continuity in drivers.
• Delays in services to return home.
• Difficulties in contacting the control centre to get information when problems arose.
• In sharp contrast to the above concerns, the Medi4 transport service was praised for efficiency and professionalism.

Satisfaction levels during 2016 reflect this mixed pattern of performance, with 67% satisfaction before April when the contract was being delivered by South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb).

However from April until the end of July, the initial period of Coperforma delivering the service, nearly 80% of patients rated the service unsatisfactory.

Satisfaction levels recovered from the very low level of 8% in this initial period to 42% in August and September 2016.