Sheffield NHS bosses monitoring 'shambolic' private ambulance provider over patient transport delays

NHS bosses have urged a private ambulance provider to shape up after kidney dialysis patients were left hours late for appointments.

Ian Hill from Stannington, contacted The Star to speak out against new private ambulance provider Premier Care Direct who labelled them 'shambolic'.

He said patients across Sheffield and South Yorkshire are waiting hours to be picked up to and from dialysis units across the region.

The 57-year-old retired postal worker said if something drastic isn't done, 'somebody could die'.

Critics of the service have called on Premier Care Direct to be stripped of the contract and the work to be put out to tender again.

EXCLUSIVE: 'Somebody could die' warns Sheffield kidney dialysis patient as delays rock new private ambulance providerAnd now NHS bosses revealed they are aware of the problems and are urging the company to shape up.

Sheffield firm City Taxis was the previous provider and have been widely praised for the work they used to do.

But the contract went out to tender earlier this year and the Doncaster-based private ambulance firm secured the contract.

A spokesman for South Yorkshire’s four clinical commissioning groups, which jointly contracts the service for renal patients, said: “The contract with Premier Care Direct started two weeks ago and we are aware that they have had punctuality issues which has resulted in delays in getting some patients to and from their treatment appointments.

“Clearly, this is not acceptable and we urgently need to see the service improve.

“We are working closely with PCD to try and find a speedy resolution to this problem and apologise to those patients who have been inconvenienced by the delays.

“We are monitoring the care programmes of all patients who come for dialysis to make sure they receive the treatment they need within safe time frames.”

A PCD spokesman previously apologised to patients who have been affected due to late transport and added they would 'commit to putting things right'.