NSL (company)

Services

Passenger transport

NCP Challenger commenced trading on 12 November 2005, having successfully tendered to operate routes 33 and 419 under contract to Transport for London.

In April 2009, NCP Challenger was rebranded NSL Buses. On 13 November 2009, NSL buses was sold to Transdev with operations taken over by its London United subsidiary.

Patient transport

NSL patient transport includes services for non-emergency, high-dependency, bariatric and secure/mental health patients. NSL is the largest private non-emergency patient transport provider in the UK, transporting over 2m patients to and from their appointments every year. NSL is a member of the Independent Ambulance Association (IAA).

It was chosen by NHS Kent and Medway in January 2013 to provide non-emergency patient transport.

Other services

NSL also provide a number of other services. These include:

• Park and ride sites in Oxford and Durham.
• Planning and designing "streetscapes" through its consultancy arm, Project Centre.
• Traffic rule enforcement, parking and traffic attendants.
• Care services: patient transfers to the NHS.

Criticism

At a January 2012 employment tribunal, NSL was described as "predatory and dishonest".

NSL has been subject to investigation into unfair practices by Channel 4's Cutting Edge programme.

Westminster Council CEOs (outsourced to NSL) have also been filmed using illegal tactics to block cars.

In January 2014 The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said the service did not meet mandatory standards in four out of five areas. It found patients had experienced long waits and some staff had not undergone criminal record checks. In April 2014 the clinical commissioning groups in Kent agreed to provide an extra £1.6m for their contract as part of a "last chance" deal to improve its performance. Ian Ayres, chief officer for West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group, which manages the contract on behalf of eight CCGs in Kent and Medway told the Kent County Council Scrutiny Committee; "the information which was available to commissioners drawing up the invitation to tender was incomplete, and therefore so was the specification."

References

References

1. "Consultancy Services". NSL Services Group.
2. [https://web.archive.org/web/20210323184921/https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2005/march/competition-for-london-bus-contracts-increases-as-ncp-awarded-two-routes Competition for London bus contracts increases as NCP awarded two routes] [[Transport for London]] 23 March 2005
3. [http://www.worthingherald.co.uk/news/local/worthing-s-parking-firm-ncp-services-changes-name-to-nsl-1-244578 Worthing's parking firm NCP Services changes name to NSL] ''Worthing Herald'' 1 June 2009
4. [https://web.archive.org/web/20140812090248/http://www.busandcoach.com/newspage.aspx?id=3139&categoryid=0 NSL sells London buses to Transdev] ''Bus & Coach Professional'' 24 November 2009
5. [https://web.archive.org/web/20111222163911/http://www.transdevplc.co.uk/cmsUploads/news/files/Annual%20Report%202009.pdfAnnual Report 2009] Transdev
6. (16 January 2013). "Kent and Medway pens patient transport contract". Health Service Journal.
7. "Parking ticket whistleblower receives £20,000 payout".
8. "NSL Services Ltd - Who gave you permission to talk to the TV crew".
9. "llegal Traffic Wardens London Westminster City Council".
10. (31 January 2014). "NSL Kent private ambulance service could face closure". BBC News.
11. (25 April 2014). "CCGs strike 'last chance' deal to rescue ambulance contract". Health Service Journal.