Contract awarded for Birmingham, Sandwell & Solihull non-emergency patient transport
From Birmingham CrossCity Clinical Commissioning Group
West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (WMAS) has been awarded a five-year contract to deliver a new non-emergency patient transport (NEPT) service for around 8,500 patients a week from 1 May 2017.
NEPT services are for people that have a medical need, and require specialist assistance to travel to or from NHS services. The service plays a critical role in patient care and the CCGs are investing in the new service to ensure patients receive a high quality, safe and timely service.
Earlier this year, NHS Birmingham CrossCity Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), on behalf of 17 West Midlands CCGs, commenced a competitive procurement process for the new NEPT service.
The new service will replace the existing services at six NHS trusts, providing one universal service across Birmingham and Solihull. It will cover the following NHS trusts:
- Birmingham Women’s NHS Foundation Trust
- Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.
It will provide services to Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull patients who require NEPT to travel to or from the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust sites. From 6 January 2018, it will also replace NEPT services at The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Read the full news story here
Read about how Healthwatch Birmingham championed patient’s needs in the commissioning of the contract.
In the initial proposals in the commissioning of the new non-emergency patient transport (NEPT) service, we challenged waiting time standards outlined in the proposal. As a result, our involvement supported improved quality for all patients using the service.
After meeting with the Commissioning Project Team, Healthwatch Birmingham challenged the waiting time standards proposed of up to one hour for patients. This went against National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines which stated a maximum waiting time of 30 minutes for renal patients. Following that challenge, the Project Team updated proposals and outlined a waiting time standard of 30 minutes for all patients using NEPT services.
Read the full case study of our involvement in our Annual Report (2015 – 2016) – Page 30.