NHS SY ICB - Non-Emergency Patient Transport - Additional Discharge

It is estimated that around £460 million is spent on NEPTS a year across England – at an average cost of around £38 per journey. That represents about £1 in every £275 spent by the NHS, approximately the same as the total cost of radiotherapy.

For people with a medical or severe mobility need, non-emergency patient transport services (NEPTS) provide an essential means to access the NHS, who otherwise might not be able to attend appointments or be discharged from hospital. On average the Provider discharges a total of 11,268 patients per annum from Barnsley, Rotherham, and Doncaster hospitals, who otherwise would not be able to be discharged from hospital.

This contract will be awarded following the Direct Award Process C of the Provider Selection Regime. The approximate lifetime value of the contract is - £3,617,670.

This is based on the annual value of £723,534 and a 3 year contract with the option to extend for a further 2 years. The contract will run from 01/10/2025 to 30/9/2028 with the option to extend for a further 2 years.

The name and address of the provider is: First4Care The Old Station, High Street, Edwinstowe, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, NG21 9HS.

Additional information: Key Criteria 1 - Quality & Innovation - Weighting 25% There are no performance or quality issues with the First4Care Contract First4care’s recent CQC report rated them as good in every Key Line of Enquiry (KLOE) except Well-Led, in which it was rated Outstanding.

Quality of service is proven by the current and historic performance experienced by the 3 trusts (Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust & The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust). The ICB is confident that patient safety and effective patient care are provided via a myriad of combined factors implemented by first4care:

Their safe and effective NHS aligned recruitment process Their 5-day bespoke tailored NEPTS training course plus 11 mandatory core subjects

Crews are trained to dynamically risk assess each patient's needs and determine the best course for their care & transport Fleet of Ambulances are fit for purpose, maintained, serviced and inspected regularly and repaired promptly as necessary

Policies and procedures are in place for staff to rely upon and work to in order to provide safe and effective services Management encourages, supports and effectively manages staff to provide safe and effective services and has robust, prompt processes in place should standards fall

The company has effective procedures and management of incidents, complaints, compliments, improvement actions and implements learning plans for the development of staff Key Criteria 2 - Value - Weighting 20% First4 Care is an independent provider of transport services and is flexible to take advantage of local workforce offering Value for money for the system and employability of people in the local area.

This is reflected in the 'Outstanding' CQC rating results, with the inspection stating that First4Care has an innovative staffing model, based on grassroot ownership, which empowered staff in decision making to drive quality and service. The provider is willing to deliver the service at the current contract value.

The service cost value of service will not increase. CQC registered and inspected with the latest inspection being 31 May 2023.

First4Care have been rated as 'Good' in all areas and 'Outstanding' in the Well-led department. The service meets the agreed response times and treats patients with compassion and kindness, respects their privacy and dignity and takes account of their individual needs.

first4care was the first independent NEPTS provider to deliver bespoke KPIs in 2011 for the Trusts and to demonstrate how improvements to the service could be made through changes it suggested. Their systems allow for monitoring, management and reporting of all journeys and all aspects of the discharge service delivery.

The company can provide full-service reports monthly and meet regularly to discuss contract performance. First4care remodelled the Trusts’ requirements through the provision of data analysis which continually improves their service delivery and performance against targets (e.g. Rotherham Hospital originally commissioned an overnight double crew stretcher ambulance shift but first4care’s data showed only 1 stretcher patient travelled after 10pm so the service was remodelled to provide more efficient shift times and resource).

These elements, together with the competitive rates charged for the discharge service give the ICB great confidence in the value for money offered by first4care. Key Criteria 3 - Integration, collaboration and service sustainability - Weighting 25% The Provider works collaboratively with system partners ensuring greater regional alignment to create a consistent minimum service offer for patients and acute trust partners- simpler interface, avoiding delays and confusion PTS Patient Charter explains the providers responsibilities and commitment to providing the highest quality service to SY patients.

It has been designed in conjunction with hospitals and other healthcare organisations and professionals in South Yorkshire. The provider has actively listened to patients, staff, volunteers, our SY communities and our healthcare partners to make sure their strategy is reflective of their views and expectations: The provider has committed to deliver the most clinically appropriate response for every patient, whenever and where they need it.

Provide care that is personalised, joined up and coordinated with the wider healthcare system, deliver quality care that is evidence informed, person centred, safe and compassionate and provide support and care delivered by professional, kind and respectful staff. first4care collects patient journey data for analysis and continuous improvement of their service; the Company actively and extensively engages with the ICB and enthusiastically works with YAS within South Yorkshire to improve patient experience and outcomes.

The ICB is confident collaboration between first4care, and YAS will further improve over the life of this contract and lead to greater patient care and outcomes. First4care’s CQC report states:

The service worked closely with NHS trusts to develop policies and SOPs that reflected patient need and the experiences of crews working on a specific contract. For example, the service was working with a trust to develop defined policies for transporting patients being cared for at the end of life”. The remaining key criteria are detailed in section VI.3.0.1 below.