AN investigation was launched after a man had to be rushed for emergency treatment less than a day after his non-urgent patient transport was delayed.

The patient was among hundreds of people across Sussex to have suffered disruption and confusion following the introduction of a new patient transport system.

Private company Coperforma has apologised “unreservedly” to patients and hospital staff affected in recent days.

Unions and NHS staff have warned lives have been put at risk and described the last few days as “chaotic.”

Coperforma and High Weald Lewes Havens Clinical Commissioning Group led the investigation yesterday. They discovered there was an initial delay in transport arriving on Tuesday morning and it had to be re-booked for later in the day.

However, this was cancelled as the patient’s destination could no longer accept him. The patient was taken to hospital in a blue light ambulance yesterday morning where he received treatment.

His condition was not known as The Argus went to press.

The Argus reported on Tuesday that Coperforma had been inundated with calls and hit by technical problems since it took over the running of the transport service contract in Sussex on April 1 from South East Coast Ambulance Service (Secamb).

The company is asking people not to call and book an ambulance until at least 48 hours before their appointment.

Patients affected have included those needing dialysis, blood transfusions and pre-assessments for operations.

One hospital worker said: “The whole thing has been chaotic and has left people really frustrated.”

Gary Palmer from the GMB said: “This needs to be sorted out as soon as possible and I fear there could be a death. How long does a situation have to go on before something is changed?”

Coperforma chief executive Michael Clayton accepted the level of service it had provided was unacceptable and the company took full responsibility.

However, he said: “A number of factors outside our control at the takeover point contributed to a perfect storm that has mitigated against a successful start to the service as had been planned.”

The firm said it had not been told about hundreds of new journey bookings until late on March 31. Patients had also been told to call the firm to check on future bookings and this added to the pressure.

The company has brought in extra staff to cope with demand.

The transition plan for transferring patient data was the responsibility of the patient transport bureau, which came under the authority of the CCGs, and Secamb said it had acted “professionally throughout.”

The process of awarding Coperforma’s contract by the county’s seven CCGs was led by High Weald Lewes Havens CCG.

Chief officer Wendy Carberry said: “We recognise the first few days of the new non-emergency patient transport service were not acceptable. We assure you that we are taking this situation seriously and working to ensure the service meets the needs of our population as quickly as possible.”

GROWING FRUSTRATION OVER DISRUPTION AND DELAYS

THE Argus has received several messages from patients and staff affected by the disruption.

One cancer patient due to be operated on had to be pushed in his wheelchair to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton by his elderly wife to get to theatre in time – making her ill in the process.

Edwin Walker, 74, from Whitehawk, Brighton, has been waiting for a knee replacement for more than a year.

He was due to have an appointment with his consultant yesterday to work out what needed to be done.

His wife Linda called Coperforma on Monday, specifying her husband needed two crew members, a wheelchair and chair carrier to help him get from the house and into the ambulance.

The transport team was supposed to come at 10am but when they turned up, there was only one person and they did not have the equipment needed.

Arrangements were made for another person to come but they did not have the equipment either.

Mr Edwin ended up missing his appointment, which has now had to be rearranged for next week.

His wife, who is 65, has multiple sclerosis so is not able to help.

She said: “We are now unsure about whether they are going to turn up for that one with the right equipment as well.”

She added: “We’re also concerned this could delay his operation even more.”

Roger Boniface, 66, from Shoreham, who was delayed for several hours before being taken for his dialysis appointment last Friday, said: “It was difficult in the morning because we had no idea when or if an ambulance was going to turn up. It was very frustrating and not acceptable.”

One man missed his heart operation on Friday and it took his daughter more than three hours to get through and find out what was happening.

Gavin Muggeridge from Sompting, who cares for a 78-year-old who needs dialysis, said the pensioner spent all weekend on the phone trying to make a booking but when he finally arranged one for Tuesday it did not turn up. He ended up having to get a taxi there and back.

TRUST SPENT £679,034 ON TRANSPORT

A MENTAL health trust spent more than half a million pounds in a year providing transport for patients.

Figures reveal Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust paid out £679,034 between April 2014 and the end of March last year.

The amount was among the highest spent by NHS organisations around the country.

The cost was for transferring patients, which included by private taxi, when they were too ill, frail or unable to travel to and from appointments by themselves.

A taxi may be paid for by the NHS if there is a shortage of patient transport services at the hospital, including ambulances or car drivers.

The figures come from data supplied to the Health and Social Care Information Centre and from individual trusts.

A Sussex Partnership spokeswoman said: “As a specialist mental health trust, we treat tens of thousands of people every single year across Sussex, Kent and Hampshire for a variety of complex problems.

“We are always looking at how we can reduce costs but the safety, wellbeing and recovery of our patients will always be our top priority.

“Contracts for patient transport services are awarded under three main categories: non-urgent (previously supplied by South East Coast Ambulance Service), secure transfer services and taxis.

“Our overall budget for patient transport also includes costs from several other local NHS trusts where our patients have needed care and treatment that we do not provide. Where taxis are used, this is generally in the early stages of someone’s recovery, for example during their first leave out of hospital to help them attend subsequent appointments.

“As a person begins to recover they are encouraged to start using public transport.”

Among the high spenders are the North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, which spent £722,000, while South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust spent £617,008.

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust spent £261,338 and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust spent £241,772.

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust spent £346,857 and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust spent £211,892.

FOUR YEAR CONTRACT WORTH £60M

THE patient transport service for Sussex was previously run by South East Coast Ambulance Service (Secamb).

It provides non-urgent transport for patients around the county who need help to be taken to and from their homes to hospital and back again.

Secamb was both the managed service provider as well as the transport provider.

When Sussex clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) were working on developing a new model for the contract it was decided the management provider should be separate from the organisation providing the transport.

Secamb did not feel it could feasibly do one or the other and so it made the decision not to make a bid to continue providing the service.

The new four-year contract, worth more than £60million, was then put out to tender.

Following the process, Hampshire-based patient transport service Coperforma was awarded the contract.

It manages the service and transport is provided by Thames Ambulance Group and VM Langfords.

Staff previously employed by Secamb operate the ambulances and provide the service.

The new service came into force on April 1.

There are seven CCGS covering Sussex and the contract process was led by High Weald Lewes Havens CCG.