Talks to end Sussex Coperforma patient transport deal

Coperforma has faced serious criticism of its service in Sussex since taking it over in April

Talks to bring an end to a patient transport deal which saw the service heavily criticised are under way.

Coperforma has agreed to hand back the Sussex contract ahead of a "managed transition" to South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS), it emerged on Tuesday.

Michael Clayton, Coperforma boss, said final terms were being agreed.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) regional deputy chief inspector Prof Edward Baker said the service got off to "an unacceptably poor start".

The CQC, which inspected Coperforma in July and issued six notices requiring improvement, said it would continue to monitor patient transport services in Sussex while the service was in transition.

It said Coperforma's performance had improved since the summer.

Mr Clayton said it was disappointing that Coperforma would not continue to deliver the service.

He said staff and contractors had worked hard, after a difficult start, to provide a "much-improved, safe and reliable service".

And he added: "In the meantime patients will continue to be our priority and we will be ensuring that there will be no interruption to the service."

The contract will be fully run by the new provider, South Central Ambulance Service, by April 2017

But in a statement, SCAS said performance levels had been very poor since Coperforma took over the contract, and recently there had been issues between Coperforma and some of its subcontractors.

It said Coperforma had agreed to step down and health commissioners had asked SCAS to step in.

The contract will be fully run by SCAS by April 2017, it added.

Deputy chief executive James Underhay said: "SCAS is under no illusion that taking on delivery of this service will be challenging and that we need to stabilise the service before we can begin to make significant improvements."

He said SCAS recognised it was a difficult time for patients and staff, and he said SCAS would provide patients with the care they expect and staff with the support they need.