Guidance for Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS) data set

There have now been 4 data collections for the NEPTS minimum data set, covering the periods 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2024.  

In May 2025, a task and finish group was convened, consisting of members from the national transport team, NEPTS commissioners, and NHS and private NEPTS providers. It has always been the ambition with this data collection to review it, in order to improve transparency and enable better benchmarking across the metric groups. The group reviewed all the data points in the collection to consider ease of reporting, data quality issues, and clarity of definitions.

There have been several minor changes to the collection with amends as follows to the metric groups.

Appendix A provides details of the revised dataset, with supporting definitions.

The data is to be collected via the Strategic Data Collection Service (SDCS) from all the operational NEPTS across an integrated care system (ICS) footprint. It is expected that this will include all activity commissioned or contracted as NEPTS, irrespective of who or how it has been commissioned, contracted or provided.

The data items will need to be collected from the individual transport providers and then aggregated by the integrated care board (ICB). This will result in one combined dataset return for each ICB, for each time period.

Data will now be collected annually, with the aggregated data for all ICBs to be shared back with providers and commissioners via a dashboard, shared on FutureNHS. 

Financial data will only be available to ICBs. There will be a separate dissemination of this data to ICBs, where their own and other ICBs' data will be available.

Metrics with changes

Timeliness

New fields for timeliness. Inbound timeliness metrics will now be split into pre-planned and short notice journeys. 

An extra field has been added for when a patient arrives 90 minutes after their booked collection time. 

Bookings

Bookings are now referred to as 'booked journeys'. This is now based on journey date.

Timeliness

Inward journeys now are split by whether the journey was pre-planned, or booked on the day.

Healthcare Travel Cost Scheme (HTCS)

ICBs should only report total number of, and costs of, claims that they settle directly as an ICB. Other HTCS metrics will be collected through alternative channels.

New Metrics

Timeliness

A new timeliness metric has been added to cover outbound journeys, also split into short notice and pre-planned journeys.

Average number of patients and escorts per vehicle

New fields for reporting split by average number of patients and escorts per vehicle run. 

Removed Metrics

Number of ineligible patients given transport advice.

Patient safety incidents – there is too much variation in locally agreed definitions to offer any value in national reporting.

Average time for HTCS reimbursement.

Number of patients contacting NEPTS that were advised of HTCS.

Number of calls received at NEPTS booking and co-ordination centre.

This is a count of Eligibility Criteria (EC) assessments. It is not a count of patients or booked journeys.

For the total number of completed patient eligibility assessments - this count is to include all EC assessments that both pass and fail the eligibility criteria for NEPTS. It does not include cancelled EC assessments or queries. 

Where there are multiple EC assessments for the same patient, all assessments are to be included.

For the total number of patient EC assessments that passed the eligibility criteria, the count is the number of assessments that resulted in a pass. The EC data counts will provide a baseline point from which the impact of any changes to how the EC is applied or the operating model in practice can be understood.

In respect of the EC assessments that failed the eligibility criteria and then the EC decision was overturned at appeal, the count is of successful appeals only and is by appeals not patients.

For clarity 'an appeal' is classed as an appeal as part of a formal process.   

Provides more context to whether there have been any changes to the number of appeals in addition to the number of successful ones. This data could indicate impacts of operational changes to eligibility criteria processes.

Of note is that appeals process is not a standard approach across all contracts.

The total cost of HTCS claims that have been submitted to and processed by the ICB.

The total number of HTCS claims that have been submitted within the reporting window, should only include claims that have been directly paid by the ICB.

Provider data  will now be collected through the NHS England Transport data collection, and via the NHS Business Service Authority.

This is a count of the booked journeys taking place within the reporting period. It is based on journey date. This may include journeys that were booked before the reporting period started, to count the journeys that subsequently took place in the reporting period.

Journeys that were booked to take place during the reporting period and then cancelled prior to the reporting period, should still be counted.

Where applicable, the count will include both the inward and outward journey bookings as two separate booked journeys.

This is the count of booked journeys before any are cancelled, aborted, or completed. Where multiple bookings are made, they are to be counted individually.

The split by journey type is to understand the type of booked journeys being requested

Booked journeys split by booking source (telephone or online) is to identify how bookings are being received. ‘Online’ is defined as a booked journey that comes directly from a web-based portal. This could be by a patient or health care professional

Where applicable, all journey counts should include both the inward and outward journeys. For example, an inward journey and an outward journey is two separate journeys.

For cancelled journeys, all cancel reasons are to be included within the count but should not include any aborted journeys. For aborted journeys, all aborted reasons should be included but not cancelled journeys.

Cancelled and aborted journeys will be continued to be defined as part of contractual agreements. There are no standardised definitions for these, and therefore there will always be some variation in the data.

The time window to be used for a journey classed as 'booked on the day' is as defined in the local contractual agreement.

Journeys booked on the day of travel should be included within the total for that journey outcome - cancelled, aborted, or completed.  A separate count is required (by each journey outcome) capturing the number of journeys 'of which booked on the day' of travel.

Where a journey includes a 2-person NEPTS crew, the NEPTS crew should not be counted as the escort. All types of escorts are to be included within the total, that is, medical, or relative escort.

To complete the data item 'Total number of journeys where the patient is accompanied by an escort split by journey type', the count is to include completed journeys only.

Journeys are now split by whether they were pre-planned or booked on the day of travel.

The calculated time is to use the actual time the patient arrived against their recorded appointment time. This data assumes a patient’s appointment time is recorded and the 'drop off' time stamp to be used is as per the local contractual agreement. For example, the agreed location patients can be dropped off. The time stamp used for this measure, should not include any locally agreed performance tolerances against arrival times.

Journeys are now split by whether they were pre-planned or booked on the day of travel.

This metric assumes there is a planned collection time allocated by the provider for collecting the patient. Some providers may operate a 'ready time' where a patient may be able to be collected earlier than this time. For consistency, use the planned collection time for reporting against this metric.

Timeliness of outward journeys has been split into journeys that are pre-planned or booked on the day.

Completed journeys are to be used to identify the split of patient ages across the different journey types. Subsequently, a patient will be counted multiple times if they have completed numerous journeys. The combined totals by age should be equal to the completed journey total. 

Patients whose age is unknown should still be counted. An unknown category has been added to the reporting template.  

Escorts should not be counted when reporting against age.

All oncology treatment journeys are also to be included within the journey counts within 'outpatients – other'. 

The count of oncology treatment journeys could be a challenge to collect if the clinic or treatment centre is not currently identified within the journey data as a journey for a course of oncology treatment. However, it is important that these journeys are identified and counted going forward. This count is to include both inward and outward journeys.

This is the average number of patients per vehicle run, counted to one decimal place. This should be the total count of completed journeys divided by the count of vehicle runs.

A vehicle run is counted as starting from when the first patient in the vehicle is picked up until the last patient is dropped off in that run. There may be several vehicle runs in a shift, and several patient journeys in a vehicle run. 

Average numbers per vehicle will be influenced by several factors such as discharge timings, locations, rurality, and road networks. This should be factored in when benchmarking. Escorts should not be counted.

This is the average number of escorts per vehicle run, counted to one decimal place. This should be the total count of completed journeys divided by the count of vehicle runs.

A vehicle run is counted as starting from when the first patient in the vehicle is picked up until the last patient is dropped off in that run. There may be several vehicle runs in a shift, and several patient journeys in a vehicle run. 

Average numbers per vehicle will be influenced by several factors such as discharge timings, locations, rurality, and road networks. This should be factored in when benchmarking.

Patients should not be included in this count.

This figure is to be submitted as a total cost of all operational NEPTS across an ICS footprint. It is expected that this will include all activity irrespective of who or how it has been provided/commissioned.

These figures would help us understand the total value of all patient related transport within the ICS, excluding that via the emergency ambulance contract.

This data will provide insight into how the activity is split between the patient different mobilities as defined by the national standard set of NEPTS mobilities.

Initial analysis undertaken by the NEPTS Review did not find systemic inequalities in the distribution of transport spend by area of deprivation. Generally, areas with a higher Index of Multiple Deprivation recorded a higher spend on NEPTS per person.

However, more detailed information is required to understand whether all are benefiting equally from access to NEPTS, the HTCS and wider transport support.

Where a postcode cannot be identified, these journeys should be counted as unknown.

The objectives of the new data items are to:

• understand the composition of the NEPTS fleet (number, types, age, owned/leased/subcontracted) 
• to help support the transition to zero emission fleets, and support commissioners evaluate contractors’ performance to mandatory net zero procurement guidance (PPN 06/20 & PPN 06/21).

Data should be submitted on all vehicles used to operate NEPTS contracts, apart from vehicles owned by ambulance trusts, as these are reported in a separate collection.

It is acknowledged that the collection and availability of some of this dataset could prove challenging. We request that processes to collect the data are put in place as soon as possible, and data is submitted on a 'best endeavours' basis – this may especially be an issue for smaller subcontractors.

Number of patient journeys carried out by vehicles submitted on 'Vehicle' tab of template only. This supports data quality checks where vehicle information is not available.

If you have a question not covered within this guidance email us at [email protected].