England’s largest independent provider of non-emergency patient transport services (NEPTS) has acquired a large industrial unit in Shrewsbury from which it is servicing a major new NHS contract in Shropshire and mid-Wales.
E-zec Medical Transport Services won the £4.8 million contract and had only eight weeks to mobilise operations before the new role started so instructed property consultancy Vail Williams to source a suitable new base.
The modern, detached 20,621 sq ft (1,916 sq m) Unit 13 in Knights Way on Battlefield Enterprise Park, Shrewsbury, was swiftly located by Vail Williams’ Birmingham Regional Managing Partner Carole Taylor.
With surveyors Towler Shaw Roberts acting for the private investment company freeholder, agreement was quickly reached for E-zec to move in on a licence basis to prepare the site before the 10-year lease at a quoting rent of £120,000 per annum commenced.
E-zec’s contract serving Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and North Powys was awarded by the NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group and will the provision of 100,000 patient journeys each year across Shropshire and Powys.
This non-emergency service – separate to the 999 ambulance service – is for patients registered with a local GP and deemed eligible, based on national criteria, such as having a medical condition or healthcare need that prevents them from using other forms of transport.
Twenty new jobs have been created as a result, along with 75 colleagues from the previous contract supplier being transitioned and trained. E-zec is also providing a dedicated renal manager to provide enhanced support for dialysis patients across the region.
Vail Williams has long worked with specialist private equity investment firm Cairngorm Capital, which backs E-zec, and so was approached to deliver the new Shrewsbury headquarters for the medical transport firm.
E-zec, established in 1998 and headquartered in Redhill, Surrey, employs 1,500 specialist staff with revenues of £50 million last year and works right across England.
Carole said: “It was crucial that we acted rapidly on this one due to the tight timescale between the contract being awarded and it going live.
“Thanks to excellent co-operation between all parties concerned we were able to provide E-zec with early access to the property so it could be fitted with the technology and equipment required to run its operations, fleet and advice centre.
“The modern detached building sits on a total site area of approximately 0.32 hectares (0.78 acres) with generous on-site car parking and loading facilities, ideal for E-zec’s ambulances, as well as the call centre and administrative offices.
“In fact, Unit 13 was a little too large for E-Zec’s specific Shrewsbury needs, but it enabled them to consolidate some other operations into this high quality facility on Battlefield Business Park and have been able to dispose of two older facilities in the process.”
Vail Williams was also sourcing properties in Powys, Market Drayton and Stoke to complement the Shrewsbury facility and serve the whole of the new contract area.
Wayne Spedding, E-zec Medical’s Operations Director, said, “I am immensely proud of what has been achieved to ensure that the contract for Shropshire and Powys launched successfully in eight weeks rather than the usual 26.
“Our team’s focus and delivery have surpassed expectations and demonstrate our determination and resolve to deliver the best service we can to all our stakeholders.
“We are indebted to Vail Williams in securing our new Shrewsbury base at very short notice and then acting on our behalf to tie up all the loose end to allow us crucial early access.”