(1)  Subject to this regulation and regulation 10 , a crew member of an NEPT Service may accept a patient as a patient of the Service.

(2)  A crew member of an NEPT Service must not accept a patient as a patient of the Service until the crew member receives a written copy of the patient assessment record for that patient.

(3)  If –

(a) a patient has been accepted as a patient of an NEPT Service; and

(b) the provision of non-emergency patient transport services by the Service is to commence from the premises of a health facility –

those services are not to commence until a crew member of the Service has received a verbal clinical handover in respect of the patient from an employee of that health facility who, within his or her scope of practice, may provide that handover to the satisfaction of the crew member.

(4)  A crew member of an NEPT Service must not accept a patient as a patient of the Service if –

(a) the patient assessment record for the patient requires the patient to be transported with a clinical escort; and

(b) the crew member is not satisfied that the clinical escort for the Service –

(i) holds the qualifications, skills or experience specified for the clinical escort for the patient; or

(ii) is otherwise suitable to be the clinical escort for the patient.

(5)  A crew member of an NEPT Service must not accept a patient as a patient of the Service if –

(a) the patient assessment record for the patient requires the NEPT vehicle, used to provide non-emergency patient transport services to the patient, to be equipped with specified equipment; and

(b) the NEPT vehicle to be used to provide the non-emergency patient transport services to the patient is not equipped with that equipment.

(6)  If a patient is accepted as a patient of an NEPT Service and the patient has recently given birth to a child who is still a neonate, the Service may transport the neonate of the patient with the patient, if –

(a) the neonate –

(i) does not require supervision, observation and care that is beyond the ability of the patient; and

(ii) does not require supervision or medical treatment by a crew member of the Service; and

(iii) is able to be legally transported in the vehicle; and

(b) the patient is being transported from a health facility to another health facility that is willing to accept both the patient and the neonate.

(7)  If a patient is accepted as a patient of an NEPT Service, a crew member of the Service is to ensure that a patient care record is created in respect of the patient before any non-emergency patient transport services are provided to the patient.