Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service for Mid and South Essex CCGs

The Mid and South Essex Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) CCG Joint Committee have been working alongside key stakeholders and service users in developing the scope, design and procurement plans for a non-emergency patient transport service (NEPTS), encompassing: - Booking & Eligibility Assessment; - Transportation of patients; and - On Site support at local NHS Acute Trusts.

The CCGs are seeking to procure a single non-emergency patient transport service for the population of mid and south Essex, for all land-based provision (across all ages) with the exception of secure mental health transport In addition, the service will be provided to patients registered with NHS West Essex CCG in relation to journeys to/from the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre.

The Service will primarily be delivered within Essex and surrounding areas.

Journeys will also be delivered outside of the local area as a consequence of patient choice, where specialist care is required or for repatriation.

NEPTS are a key enabler underpinning access to elective care and supporting timely and efficient discharge processes for acute and community inpatient providers.

As a partner within the system, the NEPTS provider for Mid and south Essex will support improvements in the latter stages of urgent and emergency care pathways and continue to enable patient choice and equitable access for elective care.

The service provider will be involved with a range of service developments including the consideration of additional low level/low risk journeys from within the 999 contract to the patient transport service (for example 'GP Urgents').

The provider will work with the Commissioner to explore the development of a technological solution to deliver active communication with patients and healthcare professionals.

During 2018/19, just under 180,000 journeys were undertaken across the in-scope NEPTS provision.