Non-emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) are provided for patients who are being transported to an NHS funded service for NHS treatment and who are deemed medically eligible based on the Department of Health (DH) eligibility criteria, which Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (DCCG) has localised.
This service is for non-urgent, planned transportation of patients whose medical condition is such that they require the skills or support of clinically trained NEPTS staff and/or their equipment on/after their journey. Eligible patients are not charged for NEPTS transport provided by the NHS.
If you have any queries please contact the Non-Emergency Patient Transport team via e-mail.
Provider background
The Patient Transport Service (PTS) Provider is responsible for the safe, timely and comfortable transportation of patients between their place of residence and the healthcare facility, between different healthcare facilities, or from the healthcare facility to their place of residence. It will deliver a managed PTS service for all patients registered with a GP Practice in Dorset who then become the responsibility of the commissioner (Dorset CCG) who also must meet the agreed eligibility criteria for PTS. The Provider will manage the entire PTS journey requirements for patients including out of area transfers, patients defined as bariatric, specialist mental health needs or as having complex manual handling needs. E-Zec Medical Ltd have held the NEPTS contract for Dorset since 2013.
Booking Non-emergency Patient Transport
Booking for NEPTS in Dorset is handled by the NHS Patient Transport Advice Centre (PTAC). To request transport, you will need to call PTAC on 01278 727457.
The call centre is open to the public from 08.30-18.00
Callers to PTAC will have their needs assessed by a member of the team and – if eligible – transport will be arranged via the existing provider, E-Zec.
If the caller is not eligible, PTAC will signpost them to other appropriate alternative services such as voluntary car schemes, community transport schemes, public and private transport, whichever best meets their needs. Healthcare Travel Cost (HTC) reimbursement scheme information will also be made available to them.
NEPTS During Covid-19
Due to the COVID pandemic the NEPT service has been required to adapt to several changes. Partitioned vehicle for transferring patients was instated and all patients were to be managed as if a covid patient. Dorset had 3 vehicles with partial partitions/cab hatches that could be closed, the rest of the fleet were unable to support any patient movements. Dorset CCG commissioned a local sail company to fit see-through/air and watertight partitions on all large vehicles within the fleet – stretcher and multi occupancy ambulances, so that E-zec could resume PTS for Dorset patients.
Aside from this partition requirement, due to infection prevention control requirements, social distancing and length of time taken to follow the covid guidance and logistical changes at each Acute site (red/green), additional resources were temporarily brought in to support the Dorset system in order meet the demand.
Who is Eligible for NEPTS?
At present, some groups of patients are excluded from assessment for eligibility and are provided with a NEPTS service for these conditions, irrespectively of whether they would pass the eligibility criteria or not.
The ineligible patient groups are:
All other patients are deemed eligible for NEPTS where they meet the following Department of Health (DH) criteria.
Eligible journeys are those:
Eligible patients are those:
Health Care Travel Cost Scheme (HC5)
You can claim help with the cost of travel if you are on a low income and have made an additional journey to receive NHS care following a referral by a doctor (GP or hospital doctor), optician or dentist. Treatment can be provided by a private hospital, you can still claim if the treatment was arranged by an NHS organisation or a local authority.
If you need help with travel costs and you are:
Contact and feedback
NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) recognises that comments, concerns, complaints and compliments are a valuable source of information from service users about the quality of the services it commissions and encourages both positive and negative feedback about services.
The CCG is committed to providing any user of the organisation, their family or members of the public, with the opportunity to seek advice, raise concerns and make a complaint about any of the services it provides or commissions.
We have produced a leaflet specifically for patients which briefly explains how to raise complaints or concerns, or provide feedback, regarding health services in Dorset. For more information, please contact the Customer Care Team.
For Complaints and Enquiries relating to Dorset CCG, you can write, telephone or email the Customer Care Officer:
NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group
Vespasian House,
Barrack Road,
Dorchester,
DT1 1TG.
Telephone: 01305 368926
Email: customer.careteam@dorsetccg.nhs.uk
Feedback relating to the any of the services we commission is welcome, please write to, or telephone, the Customer Care Officer as above or email feedback@dorsetccg.nhs.uk.
