FOI Ref: 0024FOI1920

24^th May 2019  

Freedom of Information Act 2000 – Request for Information

We are pleased to respond to your request for information and our response is set out below:

Request/ Response

The questions contained in this request are designed to help us build an accurate national picture of patient transport, so that we, along with the Healthwatch Network can work with NHS England, Clinical Commissioning Groups to help unpick some of the current issues and actively improve patient transport for people who use it.

We hope that you will be able to respond to this request in full, to help us develop our insight, so that we can propose practical solutions to any issues or pressures we discover at a national level.

If it is useful for your internal processes please treat this correspondence as a formal request for information under the Freedom of Information Act. We appreciate that gathering this sort of information can be onerous, though we would appreciate a response within twenty working days of receipt. If this will not be possible, please let us know.

Some key points about our request:

• All the questions relate to people who have used patient transport services over from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2019.
• All questions relate to non-urgent transport between patient’s place of residence to and from 

Questions:

1. How many people accessed the non-emergency patient transport (NEPTS) during the periods below?

	2015/16	2016/17	2017/18	2018/19
Numbers (Sheffield only)	180180	160127	131864	114136

 

2. How many people requested access to NEPTS but were refused the service?

	2015/16	2016/17	2017/18	2018/19
Numbers	We don’t hold this information – you would need to contact the providers: Yorkshire Ambulance Service, Arriva & City Taxis for Sheffield CCG patients.

 

3. Has there been any change in how people access NEPTS during the periods listed?

Year	Yes	No
2015/16		X
2016/17		X
2017/18		X
2018/19		X

 

Have there been changes in the guidance issued to those conducting eligibility assessments?

Please send any supporting documentation regarding this or list below:

 

N/A

 

4. If yes, please tick categories affected:

	Disability	Financial Assessment / Disability Benefit	Other (please list)
2015/16	N/A
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19

 

1. How many people were reassessed for eligibility for access to non-urgent patient transport service?

	2015/16	2016/17	2017/18	2018/19
One off assessment	You would need to contact the providers listed in Q2, for Sheffield CCG registered patients
Annual Assessment
Other

 

5. What was the outcome?

	2015/16	2016/17	2017/18	2018/19
An increase in eligibility	See response to Q4.
A decrease in eligibility
Referral to community transport/other