Report to:	East Sussex Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC)
Date of meeting:	26 June 2025
By:	Deputy Chief Executive
Title:	NHS Sussex Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS)
Purpose:	To provide an overview of the mobilisation of the new non-emergency patient transport service.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

The Committee is recommended to comment on the report and consider whether it would like to receive further updates on any elements of the NEPTS.

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1. Background

1.1. Non-emergency patient transport (NEPTS) is defined as the non-urgent, planned transportation of patients with a medical need for transport to and from premises providing NHS healthcare and/or between providers of NHS-funded healthcare. The overarching principle of patient transport, as defined by NHS England, is that most people should travel to and from hospital independently by private or public transport, with the help of relatives or friends if necessary. NEPTS is an eligibility driven service that is a statutory obligation for NHS commissioners to provide to transport patients to and from their healthcare appointments. NHS-funded patient transportation is intended for when it is considered essential to ensuring an individual’s safety, safe mobilisation, condition management or recovery. The NEPTS service is based on healthcare needs rather than wider social care needs and therefore there is a requirement that the service operates a set of eligibility criteria.

1.2. At its meeting in March 2024, the HOSC considered an update report on the procurement and mobilisation of the Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS) in Sussex, at which point the new provider was not yet able to be announced publicly. The HOSC therefore agreed to receive an update from NHS Sussex on the mobilisation and transition of the new contract at the June 2025 HOSC meeting, which is its first following the beginning of the new contract.

1.3. The re-procurement of the new Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS) in Sussex was undertaken to enhance patient experience, accessibility, and operational efficiency across the region. NHS Sussex has appointed ERS Transition Limited, trading as EMED Group, to be the new provider of Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) for Sussex for an initial five year period, which commenced on 1 April 2025.

2. Supporting information

2.1. The report, which is attached as Appendix 1 provides an update on the initial go-live performance of Sussex NEPTS following the transition, including:

· Context, including the transition to a new provider from 1 April 2025 and current capacity

· Service delivery

· Ongoing monitoring and review, including initial performance data

· Stakeholder engagement and constructive feedback

· Actions planned to further enhance the service

· New risks identified post-go-live

3.         Conclusion and reasons for recommendations

3.1       The HOSC are recommended to comment on the report and consider whether it would like to receive further updates on any elements of the NEPTS.

PHILIP BAKER
Deputy Chief Executive

Contact Officer: Patrick Major, Scrutiny and Policy Adviser

Telephone: 07701 258227
Email: patrick.major@eastsussex.gov.uk