The geographic location and demographics of Northern Health (NH) Authority are being attributed to the unsuccessful attempt to establish a patient transport pilot project.
The plan was to use inter-facility ground transport for patients not requiring care by paramedics and ambulances during transport.
When NH issued a request for proposal (RFP), aimed at attracting and identifying partners for the Alternate Service Provider (ASP) pilot project, a total of six proposals were received.
After initial review, two of those were shortlisted, but upon careful evaluation NH elected not to proceed with selecting a vendor.
"Neither of the shortlisted proposals offered substantial improvement over Northern Health's existing process for low-acuity patient transfers, particularly when looking at the full system of patient transfers across Northern Health," said Eryn Collins, NH communications officer.
She added although ASPs have been in use in B.C. since the late 1990s and all other B.C. health authorities currently use them, NH's geography and demographics make finding a viable partnership arrangement more challenging.
All patient transfers in NH will continue to be conducted by the BC Ambulance Service (BCAS), including all air ambulance services, 9-1-1 emergencies, and critical and monitored-care transfers. BCAS transports approximately 9,000 patients by ground and air each year.
