A private company which transports NHS patients to medical appointments has been put up for sale by its American owners amid concerns over its 'deep-rooted challenges'.

ERS Medical runs non-emergency patient transport services in Norfolk (excluding Great Yarmouth and Waveney), ensuring patients - who are unable to travel without help - can access treatment.

It carries out more than 100,000 such journeys per year.

The company won a £3.8m contract from Norfolk's clinical commissioning groups (CCG) in 2014 to provide the service, which had previously been run for eight years by East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

However Stericycle Inc, the private US health company which owns ERS Medical, now say the challenges associated with ERS Medical are 'deep-rooted and difficult to overcome'.

Its chiefs have therefore decided to sell the company.

In a letter to staff by ERS Medical vice chairman Michael Collins - seen by this newspaper, it is said all staff 'may be affected', though everyone will have the right to transfer to a new provider under employment regulations (TUPE).

This newspaper has asked ERS Medical what 'challenges' Mr Collins refers to, and if the sale could impact on patients in Norfolk but the company has refused to reply to this.

However the region's mental health trust (Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust) has flagged up delays in getting transport for its patients.

According to board papers Norwich CCG (which co-ordinated the contract with ERS Medical) has asked for more details on the impact this has on patients, on the loss of mental health staff members' time, and on discharge delays.

A spokesman for the CCG said: 'We have been kept informed by ERS Medical and have received assurances that the service to patients will continue seamlessly and staff will transfer to a new provider with protected terms and conditions.'

Stericycle's decision to sell ERS Medical comes after a review of ERS Medical by Mr Collins.

The review highlighted that it has been hard for ERS Medical to 'achieve genuine synergies' with Stericycle Inc.

This newspaper asked ERS Medical several questions about the sale. These included if chiefs could guarantee no job-loss, if the company is running at a financial loss, and if services in Norfolk would be affected.

ERS Medical ignored these and issued its own pre-prepared statement:

It said: 'The process of identifying a suitable partner will begin immediately.

'Should the ERS Medical business be divested, we will work diligently with the new management to foster a smooth transition.'

The sale is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

ERS Medical also runs courier services across Norfolk, which are also affected.

The company is part of the SRCL Group, which provides waste services for healthcare organisations in the UK.

SRCL Group forms part of Stericycle, an American company which provides support to organisations across the world.

Are you affected by these changes?

Email our health correspondent at nicholas.carding@archant.co.uk