AN INVESTIGATION into the problems that occurred when a private firm took over Dorset’s non-emergency patient transport will take place on Tuesday.

Representatives from seven different bodies will appear before the Dorset Health Scrutiny Panel to give evidence as to why the handover to E-zec was so chaotic.

But the panel will also hear of recent improvements made in the service offered to patients, partly because E-zec were given extra funds to increase staff and vehicle numbers.

E-zec was awarded the contract by the NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) last June and took over from former operators South Western Ambulance Service in October.

However, there were problems from the outset, with patients complaining about ambulances being delayed or not turning up at all and criticising E-zec’s customer service.

Members of the scrutiny panel will receive reports from the NHS Dorset CCG, E-zec, South Western Ambulance Service, Dorset County Hospital, Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust, Healthwatch Dorset and Dorset Advocacy.