PATIENTS have given a mixed response to a new transport service across Sussex.

The scheme, which takes people to and from their homes to hospital and clinic appointments, was taken over by South Central Ambulance Service in April.

The contract had previously been awarded to private firm Coperforma the year before but the company experienced numerous problems with thousands of patients missing vital appointments.

The contact was cancelled and South Central took over.

An investigation into the new service was carried out by the three Healthwatch groups in Sussex to find out how patients thought it was performing.

Findings showed 75 per cent of patients talked to were satisfied with the quality of the service they received.

However there were still concerns raised about delays and disruption and issues over difficulties in booking appointments.

Patients in Brighton had more negative experiences to share than those in East and West Sussex.

Eighty two per cent of patients said they arrived on time for their appointments and 42 per cent found the process of booking transport easy.

The Healthwatch groups were concerned about inconsistencies in the service and called for them to be addressed as a priority by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and the ambulance service.

In a joint statement the Healthwatch chief officers said: “The findings offer both the new provider and the lead commissioner valuable insight into how the service is embedding.

“It also provides early warning signs where improvements need to be prioritised.”

Healthwatch will carry out another investigation in December.

Sarah Richards, High Weald Lewes Havens CCG chief of clinical quality and performance, said she was pleased most patients were satisfied and this showed the quality of service had improved.

She said: “However we recognise it is still not where South Central and the CCGs want it to be and we will continue to work together to ensure the progress that has been made carries on.”

South Central director of commercial services Paul Stevens said the ambulance trust was not complacent.

He said: “Mobilising the new service in Sussex at short notice was challenging and we are seeing significantly more demand than was expected during the planning phase.

“Despite these challenges our performance against targets is improving steadily.”