Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service in Lincolnshire

The Provider will deliver an integrated call handling, eligibility assessment and transport co-ordination function as part of the wider Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS).

The Provider will ensure patients meet the eligibility criteria that is in place from time to time and support all eligible patients to travel to and from healthcare settings in a timely manner, without adverse impact on their medical condition.

The call handling and eligibility assessment service will:

• Be safe and of high quality and that meets all relevant statutory and national guidance and guidelines, and best practice and compliance requirements;
• Deliver high levels of patient and health care practitioner satisfaction;
• Respond to and meet the changing needs for patient transport services for Lincolnshire patients;
• Be efficient and cost effective;
• Deliver social value.

The key aims and objectives of the service are as follows:

• Delivery of outstanding patient and health care practitioner experience;

o Transport will arrive within agreed time limits;

o No excessive waits for outbound journeys;

o Fast track and care home journeys delivered to agreed times;

o Service is responsive to unforeseen journey delays;

o Reduction in number of journeys undertaken late at night.

• Support for the delivery of excellent hospital flow

o Zero re-beds due to patient transport issues;

o Reduction in HCP time to book / chase transport / resolve out transport issues.

• Minimum levels of aborted and cancelled journeys;
• Delivery of COVID safe journeys and support to COVID pathways;
• Support delivery of emerging new care models;
• Signposting of patients who do not meet the eligibility criteria to potential other means of fulfilling their journey including public, voluntary and community transport;
• Cost within acceptable limits.

The service will operate 24 hours a day 7 days a week, 365 days a year (366 days in a leap year) based on changing activity profiles particularly over weekends and as the 7 day working agenda expands and the impact of COVID recovery and response.

The Provider will deliver a journey delivery service that is responsive to patient need and journey times as determined by the call handling service function as part of the wider Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS). The patient transport journey Provider will deliver a service that:

• Supports patients to receive the best possible outcome from their contact with health services;
• Supports a reduction in inequalities

The patient transport service will:

• Be safe and of high quality and that meets all relevant statutory and national guidance and guidelines, and best practice and compliance requirements;
• Delivers high levels of patient and health care practitioner satisfaction;
• Respond to and meet the changing needs for patient transport services for Lincolnshire patients;
• Is efficient and cost effective;
• Delivers social value.

The key aims and objectives of the service are as follows:

• Delivery of outstanding patient and health care practitioner experience

o Transport will arrive within agreed time limits;

o No excessive waits for outbound journeys;

o Fast track and care home journeys delivered to agreed times;

o Service is responsive to unforeseen journey delays;

o Reduction in number of journeys undertaken late at night.

• Support for the delivery of excellent hospital flow:

o Zero re-beds due to patient transport issues;

o Reduction in HCP time to book / chase transport / resolve transport issues.

• Minimum levels of aborted and cancelled journeys;
• Delivery of COVID safe journeys and support to COVID pathways;
• Support delivery of emerging new care models;
• Cost within acceptable limits.

The patient transport service will operate 24 hours a day 7 days a week, 365 days a year (366 days in a leap year) based on changing activity profiles particularly over weekends and as the 7 day working agenda expands and the impact of COVID recovery and response.

The core hours of the service are 00.00 to 24.00 Monday to Sunday.