ISS Facility Services says that, while traditionally, services such as catering and cleaning have been ‘the mainstay of contracted out NHS business’, there are many other services where private sector providers have been able to assist.
One is the Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service, or NEPTS. ISS Facility Services Healthcare has just won a multi-service contract with the West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, which includes the provision of NEPTS. The company said: “In many ways NEPTS can be seen as an extension to traditional portering, not least because it takes a certain type of person to be successful in the role. Frequently the patient will be concerned about what lies ahead, even if they are being discharged. They may also be confused about where they should be going. Whoever is there to transport them needs to take that extra second or two to make sure that the individual is feeling secure and comfortable; providing that human approach that can make all the difference.”
