New contract awarded for patient transport in Plymouth
The contract for non-emergency patient transport in Plymouth has been awarded to the healthcare and waste services company SRCL Limited.
This follows a tender process launched in March 2013, with qualified organisations invited to bid for the five year contract to provide the service.
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust said: "Patients travelling to healthcare appointments in Plymouth, that are eligible for non-emergency patient transport, will benefit from the new contract that has been awarded.
"Following a thorough and robust process SRCL Limited was awarded the contract to provide patient transport services in the Plymouth and surrounding area on behalf of Northern, Western and Eastern Devon Clinical Commissioning Group."
The Trust say the new contract will deliver:
- faster response times for getting patients into and out of our hospital
- an improved communication with patients the day before and on the day of their appointment
- a commitment to continually improving the service delivered.
Patients who currently access this service based on medical need, will automatically transfer over to the new service from 1 October 2013.
Rebecca Harriott, chief officer for Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group, said:
“We wanted to ensure that patients attending healthcare appointments or being discharged from hospitals in Plymouth have access to quality non-emergency patient transport services.
“We have listened to our patients who use the transport service, as well as our healthcare providers, to find out what works best for them.
“We also took into account aspects such as patient safety and experience, quality, staff training, and respect and dignity.”
SRCL Limited has been successful in securing a number of non-emergency patient transport services contracts across the country.
South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT), the current provider, will continue to deliver the service until the 30th September 2013.
Ken Wenman, the SWASFT Chief Executive said,
“The outcome is obviously hugely disappointing for us as we worked extremely hard to prepare a tender that built on the experience and already high levels of service we currently provide to patients, while also ensuring best value for taxpayers.
“Our focus over the coming weeks is to continue providing the high-quality patient transport service under the current contract and indeed frequently beyond it as patient need dictates.
“Additionally, supporting affected staff during a difficult and uncertain time is also a key priority for us and I would like to thank them for their high levels of continued dedication, commitment and professionalism.”
The transfer of non-emergency patient transport services to a new provider will not impact on A&E services currently provided by SWASFT as these are separate services.
Rebecca Harriott continued: “We would like to thank SWASFT for its provision of patient transport services and we look forward to continuing to work with the trust on its excellent provision of 999 emergency services.”
A spokesperson for the union Unison said: “Unison is concerned at the award of the contract to a private provider, as the NHS is for the public and not for profit.
"It is confirmation of the Government's drive to privatise parts of the NHS, citing cost savings when in fact it is a false economy.
"Our PTS (Patient Transport Service) members in the South Western Ambulance Service, here in Plymouth provide more than just a transport service, they work closely with their frontline colleagues providing additional help at weekend nights and other busy holidays, allowing the frontline vehicles to concentrate on the most poorly patients.
"There will now be three different companies providing PTS in the South West and this may well cause confusion amongst patients as to who will provide the service and who to contact. Our members have already found that GPs and hospital staff are unaware of the change coming on 1st October due to the fragmentation of the service.”
