!

Arriva Transport Solutions Frequently asked Questions South West Contract: Gloucestershire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset

"##$%&'!()*$)+,!-./0!

"##$%+'!1#2,)!(%3)*2!

4%+#25*'!/!

Contents
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Introduction Who is Arriva Transport Solutions? What services are provided by Arriva Transport Solutions (ATSL)? What has changed since the 1st December? Do all patients need to be booked ready? Who is eligible for non-emergency patient transport? How do patients know whether they are eligible? What happens if a patient is deemed ineligible for transport by ATSL? How can transport be booked? booking process? 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. Do patient have to book their own transport? Can friends accompany patients to keep them company? Are there any other criteria for bookings? Do you see patients to the door at their destination or back to their residence? How can we confirm that an online booking facility has been received and indeed processed? What are the hours of the contract? How far in advance can bookings be made? Sometimes our patients wait for hours after they have been discharged, what will ATSL do to improve this? How can staff contact ATSL if there are issues to discuss or to address a problem? How can patients make a complaint? Health Watch and PALS Where can I find out more information?

10. What information will patients have to provide to go through the

"##$%&'!()*$)+,!-./0!

"##$%+'!1#2,)!(%3)*2!

4%+#25*'!/!

! 1. Introduction
From 1 December 2013, Arriva Transport Solutions is working with the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in the South West sub regions to provide nonemergency patient transport services (NEPTS) across Bath and North East Somerset [BaNES], Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Swindon, taking eligible patients to and from NHS funded services. The eligibility criteria, set by the Department of Health, are applied when a PTS booking is made. This means that the service has been commissioned to provide NEPTS for patients who are eligible and registered to GPs located in the areas of BaNES, Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire CCGs. On a case by case basis, the service will also carry out discharges/transfers from acute trusts within the geographical footprint, for patients registered to GP practices in other CCG areas, where those CCGs are content for Arriva to move their patients.! This sheet aims to answer some of the common questions that are asked.

2. Who is Arriva Transport Solutions? Arriva Transport Solutions Limited (ATSL) is a specialist transport company, providing transport across health and social care sectors. Working in partnership with the NHS, we develop and deliver bespoke transport solutions across the UK. Part of the Arriva group, one of the largest transport providers in Europe, ATSL brings over 30 years clinical experience through its wholly owned subsidiary, Ambuline. For more information on us, please visit www.arrivatransportsolutions.co.uk. 3. What services are provided by Arriva Transport Solutions (ATSL)? From 1 December 2013 ATSL operates; Non-emergency patient transport services taking registered eligible patients, as determined by national NHS eligibility criteria, to and from NHS funded services. This service includes patients with outpatient appointments, day case inpatient admissions, discharges from centres, inter-hospital (including time critical), A&E/Minor Injury home returners, end of life patients, renal and on-site interdepartmental hospital transfers.

4. What has changed from 1 December 2013? NEPTS operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The new service includes the use of an efficient patient journey booking and planning system, CLERIC. Live vehicle movements are tracked using GPS. Previously, return journeys were booked in advance based on expected times for patients to complete their appointments. However, ATSLs Book When Ready system means the unit/ward notifies ATSL that the patient is ready. We will then aim to collect the patient within one hour of the ready time so that they dont have to wait if their appointment finishes early. This means ambulance trips are not wasted and most significantly, other patients do not have their own journeys otherwise negatively impacted upon. The new service replaces a plethora of over 35 contracts, non-contract agreements, and ad hoc arrangements; variable use of national NEPTS eligibility criteria; and frequently timelimited services, that were in use across the four CCGs.

"##$%&'!()*$)+,!-./0!

"##$%+'!1#2,)!(%3)*2!

4%+#25*'!/!

!
Patients can be booked ready either online (preferred) or by telephone. An ambulance/vehicle will not be dispatched until the patient is booked ready. There are also Internet based communications with our dedicated and highly trained staff. There is a clear escalation process to follow if there are any queries/concerns with the service, please contact croftl@arriva.co.uk if you require a copy of the escalation procedure for your area. 5. Do all patients need to be booked ready? All patients requiring an outbound journey from their treatment centre to home/nursing home must be booked ready following the appointment or treatment, except those accessing dialysis. Dialysis patient transport journeys are planned both ways inbound and outbound, based on throughput time and these patients do not need to be booked ready. All others do. 6. Who is eligible for non-emergency patient transport? Non-emergency patient transport is available for those patients who have a medical need for transport each patient is assessed by applying the national eligibility criteria. Any patients who are ineligible will be signposted to alternative community providers or the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme. 7. How do patients know whether they are eligible for transport? Our expert advisors will ask a few simple questions about the patients medical condition and mobility needs to determine their eligibility. This information will be asked of either the patient or the health care professional or carer if booking on the patients behalf. 8. What happens if a patient is deemed ineligible for transport by ATSL? The patient will then need to make their own arrangements for getting to and from their appointment. Our advisors can provide further information about this and patients can also contact their local Healthwatch directly for details: Healthwatch Gloucestershire 01452 504 989 Healthwatch Swindon 01793 497 777 Healthwatch Bath and North East Somerset 01225 232 401 Healthwatch Wiltshire 01225 434 218 9. How can transport be booked? Transport can be booked over the telephone on 0845 600 6068 or online at https://pts.arriva.co.uk. To use the online system, you must have a username and password. This can be obtained by clicking on the link above. If you experience any problems with the online booking site, you can email ptsonline@arriva.co.uk.

"##$%&'!()*$)+,!-./0!

"##$%+'!1#2,)!(%3)*2!

4%+#25*'!/!

!
10. What information will patients have to provide to go through the booking process? The information usually required is: Name of patient Date of Birth (DOB) NHS number (wherever possible) Pick up and destination, both with post codes Date of journey Type of transport required (wheelchair, assistance needed, etc)

11. Do patients have to book their own transport? Not always. Bookings can be made by the hospital or clinic where treatment is being carried out, GP practice or the patients carer. 12. Can friends accompany patients to keep them company? Although we recognise that family and friends like to have support, escorts are only permitted where the patient requires the medical or other specialised skills of their escort during their journey. An example of this is patients who have severe communication difficulties or those who may have confusion and require the skills of their escort to ensure a safe journey. All children under the age of 18 are required to have an escort for their journey and this must be arranged prior to booking transport. 13. Are there any other criteria for bookings? All bookings, whether by the preferred online method or by telephone should ideally be made before 15:00 (3pm) on the working day prior to the intended day of travel. Bookings can be made after 15.00 on the working day before travel and can also be made on the day of travel itself. The latter are defined as on the day bookings and are subject to a response time of up to 4 hours (2 hours for end of life patients). Planned journeys are defined as bookings made any time on the day before travel and collection is within one hour of the requested time.! 14. Do you see patients to the door at their destination or back to their residence? Our staff look after patients during their entire journey. They collect patients from inside their homes/place of residence and stay with them until they reach their destination, including times when the destination is not yet open. At home they will also check that electrical appliances are off, that the patient has their keys and that all doors and windows are secure prior to the start of their journey. They also ensure patients are safely back inside their place of residence after their appointment. 15. How can we confirm that an online booking facility has been received and indeed processed? When bookings are made online a booking number is automatically generated.

"##$%&'!()*$)+,!-./0!

"##$%+'!1#2,)!(%3)*2!

4%+#25*'!/!

16. What are the hours of the contract? This contract (bookings and transport) will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. 17. How far in advance can bookings be made? There are no restrictions on how far in advance you can book a patients nonemergency transport, however patients will be taken through eligibility criteria for each journey and their eligibility status may change in line with their health requirements over time, therefore a pragmatic approach should be taken. 18. Can bookings be made on the day? Bookings can be made on the day of travel itself. These are defined as on the day bookings and are subject to a response time of up to 4 hours (2 hours for end of life patients). Although we will aim to undertake the journey as quickly as possible, patients and staff should be made aware that there could be a wait of up to four hours for transport. 19. Sometimes our patients wait for hours after they have been discharged, what will you do to improve this? As part of our service on this contract, we will implement our Book when ready policy. This policy requires hospital staff to make a booking only when a patient is discharged or has finished their outpatient appointment. We aim to collect all patients within one hour of them being Booked Ready. If a patient has booked their own transport, the ward staff at the unit/centre will need to book the patient ready, when the patient is ready to travel. 20. How can staff contact ATSL if there are issues to discuss or to address a problem? All wards and departments will be provided with clear escalation procedures on how to resolve issues, both in our control room or with our operations team. The escalation procedure will have named individuals and direct contact telephone numbers. Our operations manager will also be based on certain hospital sites and will be visible to your staff. 21. How can patients make a complaint? We are keen to hear views on all aspects of our service. If the patient has an enquiry, a comment or a complaint about the service we provide, they can contact us on:
Tel: Email: Freepost: 0845 600 6068* patientcustomerservice@arriva.co.uk Arriva Transport Solutions Freepost ANG 7624 Luton LU4 8BR

*calls to this number will be charged at standard local rate from landlines; calls from mobiles will be higher.

"##$%&'!()*$)+,!-./0!

"##$%+'!1#2,)!(%3)*2!

4%+#25*'!/!

!
22. Healthwatch or Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) The local Healthwatch or PALS can provide information and support to patients and carers and will listen to their concerns, suggestions, queries or complaints. 23. Where can I find out more information? There is more information on the new contract available and can be requested by emailing croftl@arriva.co.uk or jelania@arriva.co.uk.

"##$%&'!()*$)+,!-./0!

"##$%+'!1#2,)!(%3)*2!

4%+#25*'!/!