Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service Patient Charter and Eligibility Criteria
Part 1: Eligibility criteria - general requirements The purpose of these eligibility criteria is to provide a fairer service to patients accessing NHS treatment services. It is also to ensure that this resource is provided to those who have a specific medical need, that means that they require transportation to access healthcare services or return home. To achieve this, the eligibility criteria below has been standardised and will apply to all. General requirements for eligible patients: A patient s eligibility for non-emergency patient transport services will be assessed against the following clinical eligibility criteria. If they are a regular user, this will be reviewed every twelve weeks. Whether a patient meets the criteria below must be determined by a healthcare professional, or a member of non-clinical staff. Staff must be employed by the NHS (or under NHS contract), be clinically supervised, and/or work within locally agreed guidelines and protocols. The patient must be registered with a GP within the commissioning area, or is normally resident within the commissioning area, and has either: a) A medical condition that requires the skills or support of patient transport staff, on or after the journey, to the extent that it would be detrimental to their condition or recovery if they were to travel by any other means; or b) A medical condition that impacts on their mobility, to such an extent that they would be unable to access healthcare, and it would be detrimental to the patient s condition or recovery to travel by any other means. 1
Part 2: Specific clinical eligibility A patient is eligible for non-emergency patient transport if: The patient requires any one of the following during transport: a) a stretcher or sling/hoist; b) intravenous support; c) oxygen or other medical gases; or d) specialist bariatric provision. OR The patient has any one of the following, meaning that they are unable to travel to and from their appointment by means of private or public transport which also affects their daily living: a) a mental health condition; b) are unable to stand unless aided by another person; or c) another disability. OR The patient is attending their appointment for active treatment and will experience side effects that means they are unable to travel by means of public or private transport. 2
Part 3: Eligible escorts An eligible escort is either: a) the parent or guardian of a child aged under 16; OR b) a professional, or relative, who is able to provide the necessary skills or services that the patient requires on the journey that cannot be supplied by the transport staff as defined by the commissioner. A patient can travel with an escort if any one of the following applies: a) under the age of 16 years; b) significant communication or learning difficulties; c) poor vision or hard of hearing; d) a mental health condition or confusion that precludes safely travelling alone; or e) requires constant supervision for their safety. 3
Booking your non-emergency patient transport services (NEPT) You can expect that we will provide an easy and efficient booking service for patients who are eligible for non-emergency patient transport due, to a medical condition (see the eligibility criteria for details). If you re eligible for patient transport due to a medical reason, you can expect that we will provide you with a booking reference number and estimated collection time. You can sign-up to receive transport booking reminders for all pre-booked and planned appointments and we promise to keep in touch with you either by text message (SMS), telephone or email, if you wish. If you no longer require the non-emergency patient transport that you have booked, you agree to cancel in advance. You commit to only requesting, or using, non-emergency patient transport if you have a genuine need. If you re not eligible for non-emergency patient transport, you can expect that we will provide you with information so that you re able to make an informed decision or choice about other options to help you get to your appointment. 4
Getting you to the treatment centre You can expect that we will let you know 20 minutes prior to your collection that we are on our way, confirming your pick up time and letting you know the name of the member of staff collecting you. You can expect that we will let you know if you will be taken directly to your appointment, or if there will be any other pickups on the way to the treatment centre, we call this a multiple pick up. You can expect that staff will provide the support you need to safely access the vehicle. We will help ensure you have the necessary medication and appointment letters, that you may need to take with you to your appointment. An eligible escort may travel with you, where they have the skills or support that are needed, that the non-emergency patient transport staff can t provide. Please see the eligibility criteria for details. You can expect that all of our staff will show you their identification and provide you with a friendly welcome to help you access the vehicle. 5
During your journey Where patients live within 10 miles of their treatment centre, we aim to ensure that your journey time doesn t exceed 60 minutes, once you have been picked up. We will keep you updated about any delays along the way (for example traffic). You can expect that we will always provide vehicles for non-emergency patient transport that are clean, safe and comfortable. You can also expect that our non-emergency patient transport staff will talk to you during the journey, to check that you re ok and advise you once you re near to your treatment centre drop-off point. You can expect that patient transport staff will communicate with the hospital if there are any delays and they will make any arrangements for you, so you can relax and not worry. Arriving at the hospital or NHS service You can expect that you will be taken to the agreed treatment centre patient transport drop-off point. Treatment centre staff will greet you at the drop-off point and ensure you can get to your appointment on time. We aim to ensure patients arrive no more than 45 minutes before their appointment time. You can expect to be left at the hospital safely, with a hand over to staff and with all your belongings. 6
Going home You can expect that non-emergency patient transport staff will collect you from the same treatment centre drop-off point and that this will be a friendly, safe and comfortable area to wait. We aim to collect patients within 45 minutes of the non-emergency patient transport service being advised that the patient is ready to go home, or 30 minutes for renal dialysis patients. You can expect that staff will continue to care for you and ensure you re comfortable until you re discharged and collected by the non-emergency patient transport service. If your journey is delayed by more than 60 minutes, staff will ensure you re comfortable and that refreshments are available. You can expect to be informed before starting your return journey of the estimated time it will take to get you home and of any other drop-offs, if it is a multiple pick-up. We will ensure that all patients are assisted to leave the vehicle safely and enter their home depending on their individual needs. 7
Customer service & dignity We aim to provide a fair and good quality for everyone, where all patients are treated equally. You can expect a friendly, caring and patient focussed transport service. We expect the highest standards of care from our staff at all times. We will aim to ensure that your patient journey is well coordinated and work closely with your treatment centre to make this happen. We aim to organise non-emergency patient transport using local knowledge of the area, to make sure we reduce any delays and provide the most efficient service to patients. We are committed to ensuring that our service is dementia friendly. Respecting your dignity is at the centre of everything we do and how we will treat you. You, or your carer, have the right to let us know if we get things wrong or you think we can improve the non-emergency patient transport service. We pledge to actively encourage patient or carer feedback and encourage you to rate the patient transport service see our website or leaflet for details about how to do this, including the Friends and Family Test. You can expect that we will let patients, carers and the public know how their feedback is helping us to improve the service. 8
Non-emergency patient transport services This criteria is based on the Department of Health (2007) Eligibility for Patients Transport Services guidance. This defines patient non-emergency transport services, known as NEPT, as the non-urgent and planned transportation of patients to and from a premises providing NHS healthcare and between healthcare providers (e.g. when patients are transferred). It is not for patients who require an urgent, or 999 response. The service will be available to all eligible patients, each of whom may be accompanied by no more than one eligible escort. With the exception of other specified reasons, no more than one hearing or guide dog can accompany any eligible patient that is deaf, blind, or partially sighted. 9
Contacts NHS Birmingham CrossCity Clinical Commissioning Group Tel: 0121 255 0700 email: bhamcrosscity@nhs.net NHS Sandwell and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group Tel: 0121 612 4110 email: swbccg.time2talk@nhs.net NHS Birmingham South Central Clinical Commissioning Group Tel: 0121 255 0700 email: infobsc@nhs.net NHS Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group Tel: 0121 713 8399 email: solihull.ccg@nhs.net 10
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