Transport firm ‘driven by profit not patient care’

Angela Rayner

ANGELA Rayner MP is asking police to investigate how £1.5million was incorrectly paid to a private company that took over ambulance services in Greater Manchester.

Mrs Rayner, Labour MP for Failsworth, was “horrified and appalled” to hear Arriva Transport Solutions had claimed the money after overstating its performance in running non-emergency ambulances for patients across Greater Manchester.

Mrs Rayner led a campaign three years ago by public sector union UNISON against privatisation of the ambulance service. She says police must investigate how public money was wrongly paid.

“It is deeply worrying. The public of Greater Manchester will want to know whether any fraudulent activity was carried out by the company in claiming more than £1.5 million. We warned at the time that such an important public service was not safe in the hands of the private sector, which is driven by profit not patient care.

“I find it incredible that more than £1.5 million could have been wrongly claimed by the company and health chiefs only found out when the company disclosed it last month.

Arriva Transport Solutions Ltd currently provides non-emergency patient transport services to Greater Manchester’s 12 Clinical Commissioning Groups.

The firm recently disclosed that it had discovered management and processing failures over the reporting of performance standards. It said performance achievements had been overstated and incentive money could have been incorrectly claimed as a result.

Mrs Rayner is writing to Greater Manchester’s new chief constable, Ian Hopkins, asking him to investigate alongside Lancashire police.

The company has repaid the money and withdrawn its bid to continue running the ambulance service after next year.